The Famed Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

1. The Famed Inca Trail to Machu Picchu http://www.salkantaytrekking.com/ Nestled high in the Andes at an altitude of 2350m, and overshadowed by a 3000m peak, lies an Old Mountain. For years, the morning mists settled on this ancient site keeping the complex beneath shrouded in mystery. Covered in forested area and overgrown with dense vegetation, it remained hidden from the outside world until 1911, when archaeologists named Hiram Bingham, 'officially' discovered the site. "Old Mountain" was home to the ancient Inca trail trek better known today as Machu Picchu. Thought to have been built by the Incan ruler, Pachacuti Inca Yapancui, the sanctuary of Machu Picchu overlooks the deep canyon of the Urubamba River, and covers an area of 5 square km's. It is part of the larger Machu Picchu Heritage site, spanning an area of 32,600 hectares and is home to numerous archaeological wonders and a myriad of magnificent flora and fauna. While the ruins of Machu Picchu can be accessed by train and a quick bus trip, the best way to arrive to the ruins is along the famed, Inca trail. Built by the Inca's in about 500AD, the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu covers only a small section of the ancient road system, which once spanned 23000km's and connected over three million km of territory. The trail was built block by block along the spine of the Andes, linking southern Ecuador to central Chile. Among the lists of world famous treks, the Inca Trail in Peru is undoubtedly one of the top ranking, so popular in fact that one needs to reserve a spot on the trail at least three months in advance.

2. Up until 2005, the number of trekkers on the route escalated out of control with the result that the paths were overcrowded and strewn with litter and garbage. It got so bad that the government finally stepped in and imposed a restriction of 500 trekkers per day, to include guides and porters. At a spot called Km82 on the Urubamba River, about 170 tourists gather each day, to walk the 53km famed Andean trail, to the ruins of Machu Picchu. For many, the path give modern man a chance to walk in the footsteps of a lost civilisation, but what many people don't realise, is that the route opens a window to exquisite plant life, a myriad of old Incan Ruins and an insight into some of the old traditions of the people. Mailing Address: Triunfo Street 392, office 212, 2nd floor - Main Square of Cusco Phone: +51 84 635038 Whats App: +51 974 727 031 Email: info@salkantaytrekking.com Skype: salkantay.trekking (Oscar) 24 hrs. Emergency call: +51 958191179 (Liv) - 8:00am - 18:00pm +51 974727031 (Jordan) - 18:00pm - 8:00am [Opening hours – 9 Am to 8 Pm]