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The historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu was established January
8, 1981, by means of the Supreme Law #001-81-AA.In 1983, it was
declared a Cultural Patrimony and a Humanity of Nature by the
UNESCO. This sanctuary is located in the Cusco region, the province
of Urubamba, the district of Machupicchu. It extends
over a surface area of 32,592 hectares.
The region in which you find Machupicchu, has characteristics of
both the sierra and the Amazon. It is one the most important
architectural jewels of the world and the #1 tourist attraction in
South America. There is no other work like it on the continent, and
very few in the world, this place brings human work into harmony
with the natural landscape. In addition to the Machupicchu fortress,
there exist 34 archeological groups linked to the Inca trail.
The flora in this Sanctuary is exuberant, sitting above all of
the humid zones between 2,000 and 4,000 meters above sea level. In
the high regions you can find different species of Poaceous. In the
low regions you can observe large ancient trees like: the Evergreen
Alder (Alnus jorullensis), the Brasilian Coral Tree (Erythrina
falcata), the Walnut Tree (Junglans neotropica), the Conifer (Podocarpus
glomeratus), the quishuar (Buddleja incana), the queñual (Polylepis
racemosa), the cedar (Cedrela sp.) and many more which cover the
gorges and the forest edge. Also, there are palm trees the
height of the Geromoina and the tree ferns (Cyathea sp.). Orchids
are abundant (30 genus and more than 190 species), and are found
alternately blooming throughout the year in the open areas of the
thick forest. Among the most beautiful depicted exist: the Masdevallia barlaeana
and the Maxillaria floribunda. The Bromeliaceous are represented by
the Puya weberbaueri and the Tillandsia rubra, among many others.
The fauna present with very special characteristics in accordance
with the diverse zones they live in; among the birds exist the
condor (Vultur gryphus) and diverse species of hummingbirds; among
the mammals are the Dwarf Brocket (Mazama chunyi), the Cougar (Puma
concolor), the Ocelot or Wild Cat (Leopardus pardalis) and
some monkey species of the genus: Cebus, Saimiri, Aotus and
Lagothrix, the last is in danger of extinction. Among the Ophidia,
there exists the boa (Bothrops andianus) and the vipers of the
Bothrops genus. There are also other species of threatened wild
fauna that live in the sanctuary like, the Andean Cock of the Rock (Rupicola
peruviana), the Spectacled Bear (Tremarctos ornatus), the Otter (Lontra
longicaudis) and the Pampas Cat (Oncifelis colocolo). The primary
objective of the Historical Sanctuary of Machupicchu is to protect
the valuable archeological findings, the Andean culture and the
spectacular landscape, which make up a natural habitat of important
flora and fauna that exist in a vulnerable situation or in danger of
extinction.
Location
120 km northeast of Cuscol
How to Get There
From Cusco by train from the San Pedro station (every day) In
helicopter (Heli Cusco) to the town of Aquas Calientes
When to Go
May and June
Other Close Attractions
Flora and fauna, picturesque routes, national parks,
archeological findings, urban towns
Activities
Hiking, photography, flora and fauna observation, cultural and
historical tours
Services
Lodging, trips, transportation
Climate
Rainy throughout summer (December to March). Sunny between May
and September, although it is not rare to have showers of
rain. The temperature reaches 27° C, and rarely reaches
below 11° C.
Prices
Adult: daily PEN 5,00 (in
USD), for three days PEN 10,00 (in
USD)
Child: dailyPEN 1,5 (in
USD), for three days PEN 4,00 (in
USD) |
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