1. Machu Picchu
A legend in its own right, Machu Picchu is a majestic ruin found in an equally majestic and dramatic setting, on a ridge located some 300 meters above the Urubamba River. Steep, lush and often cloud-shrouded mountains that make Machu Picchu’s background are every bit as impressive as the legendary ruins themselves. When one thinks about why the Incas chose this very location to build their city, they only need to stand near the caretaker’s hut and look over the ruins, the jungle-covered mountains and the river flowing far below.
The site was discovered back in 1911 by Hiram Bingham; first documented by Spanish soldiers in the 1500s, he believed until his death that Machu Picchu was the “Lost City of the Incas.” Yet, interestingly, historians refer to Espiritu Pampa as the real Incan lost city; Bingham, however, disagreed and discounted the ruin as insignificant, despite being aware of its existence. Be that as it may, Machu Picchu is rightfully viewed as one of the best places in Peru whoever you choose to believe.
