Explore the Ruins of Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu in Peru is the site of elaborate Incan ruins. Machu Picchu tours can take you around this historical treasure trove. Hundred of thousands of people trek to Machu Picchu every year to experience the magic and history of the place. Here are a few theories about Machu Picchu’s mysterious origins, its discovery and some of its feats of engineering before you head out on your excursion.

Machu Picchu perched high above the Urubamba river

People have theorized for years about Machu Picchu’s mysterious origins. People have suspected everything from aliens to slaves to Gods for creating the city. In 1450 the Incas built the empire. Most historians now agree that the city served as the great Incan emperor Pachacuti’s summer home. About 100 years after Machu Picchu was built, it was abandoned. Many have speculated that the Spanish conquistadors wiped out the city’s inhabitants, but there are not any signs that the Spanish even reached the area. A more likely theory is that the Spanish brought small pox, which spread throughout the city. Life Before Work Travel’s Machu Picchu tours can enrich your experience of the area with in-depth knowledge of the history and lore of the site.

While the locals had known about Machu Picchu for years, it wasn't brought to the attention of the rest of the world until 1911. A Yale history professor, Hiram Bingham, stumbled upon the site while searching for another lost city of the Incas. The site has now become one of the world’s biggest tourist attractions.

Machu Picchu is an extraordinary marvel of engineering even by today’s standards. It boasts terraces that were used to support the city and keep it from sliding down the mountain, but also to catch rainwater that nourished Incan gardens. There are 3,000 stone steps that exist in the city, sixteen fountains and countless other treasures built from hundreds of thousands of stones. The stones are fit together with such precision that a knife blade cannot be inserted between them. It is theorized that river rock was used to cut the stones.

An historical and engineering marvel, Machu Picchu should be on the agenda for all Peru tours. Machu Picchu is now considered one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A brief history of the theories surrounding Machu Picchu’s roots, discovery to the outside world and some of its engineering marvels gives you a taste of all the majesties Machu Picchu tours can offer you.