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Incan Citadel
This hilltop Incan citadel lies high above the village of Pisac on a triangular plateau with a plunging gorge on either side. It's a truly awesome site, but you'll see surprisingly few tourists here, except mid-morning on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, when it becomes flooded with tour groups.
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Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is not mentioned in the chronicles of Spanish conquistadors. Apart from some indigenous Quechuas, nobody knew of its existence until American historian Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it in 1911. Machu Picchu was initially overgrown with thick vegetation. Bingham returned in 1912 and 1915 to clear the thick forest, when he also discovered some of the ruins on the Inca Trail.
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Qorikancha
These Incan ruins form the base of the colonial church and convent of Santo Domingo. Once the richest temple in the Incan empire, all that remains today is the masterful stonework. Qorikancha, which is Quechua for 'Golden Courtyard', was literally covered with gold: the temple walls were lined with some 700 solid-gold sheets. Within months of the arrival of the first conquistadors, this incredible wealth had all been looted and melted down.
Showing 1-3 of 3 results
