The trip by the Inca Trail [/color]is an unforgettable experience. The road is paved with blocks of rock, with ladders, tunnels and wooden bridges that cross rivers, valleys, temperate, the warm and cold cloud forest high Andes. All these makes the visitor meditate about the intellectual and spiritual grandeur of the Andean man whose greatest achievement was the Inca civilization.
The lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu is without doubt a city symbol of Inca civilization. The road leading to the pilgrims and authorized officers of the empire in this holy city is the "Inca Trail" as we know it today.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is part of a system of more than 30,000 kilometers of roads that make up the vast network Tawantinsuyu, from southern Colombia to central Chile passing through Quito, Ecuador, Cajamarca, Huanuco, Jauja, and Huamanga Cusco in Peru, La Paz and Cochabamba in Bolivia to Salta and Tucuman in Argentina. These roads were mostly along the coast and the mountains and in some cases reached the Amazon jungle like the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.
Location:
The Inca Trail begins 82 kilometers from Cusco to Machu Picchu route and the journey is 42 miles.
Climate: The climate is varied along the way. During the day is usually sunny and dry in the first two days and humid in the third and fourth. At night, the first two camps are usually cold, but the third camp is warm. The rainy season begins in late November and lasts until March. While this adds one more difficulty to walk, it is also true that the landscapes are benefited by the rains.
Scenery: The scenery and landscapes also change along the walk. In the first two days, the landscape is the type with the presence of the Andean mountains, glaciers, forests and streams. In contrast, the third day, the vegetation is more like a tropical rainforest. Along the way you can see llamas, hummingbirds, hawks, lizards, and sometimes deer.
History: The Inca Trail was a route of pilgrimage to Machu Picchu by the Inca king in the years of the fifteenth century. I did not have a commercial purpose, as there were other
ways easier to transport goods, people and llamas to Machu Picchu. The purpose of the Inca was religious and ceremonial rituals, which included a pilgrimage to honor the mountains and glaciers on the route, such as Veronica or Wakaywilka.
Many tourists from all over the world come not only to Peru to visit Machu Picchu, but also to tour the Inca Trail, perhaps the most famous hike in South America. These tourists are attracted not only by the challenge of the walk, but also for its beautiful scenery, the impressive ruins along the same, and the mystery at the end of the road.
There are 3 ways to reach Machu Picchu via the Inca Trail. The first and longest lasting 8 to 7 days so it is quite difficult, moreover, that the height reaches over 4500 meters. The second option is the most frequent, lasts 4 days and 3 nights and a tour of 42 kilometers. Finally, the last option and the shortest only takes 2 days and 1 night, being quite simple and short route required.
