Colca Canyon - Arequipa

Like a giant gash through the Andes, the Colca Canyon (200 km (125 miles) long and 3,400 m deep) winds majestically through the mountain landscape with the turbulent waters of the Colca River flowing through it.

Condors, lords of the skies, alongside a variety of flora and fauna, inhabit this magnificent land, giving life to one of the most spectacular regions in all Peru. Here you will find the legacy of an ancient culture that has been preserved to this day.

The 14 villages that spread over both sides of the canyon reflect a richly blended indigenous and colonial heritage. In these picturesque villages, clustered around their fine baroque churches, life goes on as in the past, delighting travellers who may almost feel they are visiting a living museum.

The walls of the Colca Canyon are adorned with large sections of Inca and pre-Inca terracing. During tours of the Colca Canyon ruins of Inca settlements can be seen.

An ideal destination for walking and trekking there are numerous tours of the Colca Canyon available. A visit to Colca Canyon is not complete without a stop at the Condor Cross or Cruz del Condor, a viewpoint overlooking the valley. Everyday, particularly between 9 and 10:30am, the fabulous Colca Condors fly by seemingly purposely showing off their grandeur to the few loads of tourists waiting.

The Colca Canyon landscape is covered with over 200 varieties of plants, 117 species of birds (including the colibri andino, the world’s largest hummingbird), and many alpacas, llamas and vincunas.

Puno and Lake Titicaca

Puno is the gateway to Lake Titicaca and sits on the North shores of the Lake.

The train journey from Cusco to Puno route is impressive and the Andean Explorer Observation Car on adds to the enjoyment with plenty of photo opportunities. On arrival be prepared for an even higher altitude and a much cooler climate.

The first Spanish settlement in Puno sprang up around a silver mine discovered by the infamous Salcedo brothers in 1657. In 1668 Puno was created as the capital of the region and from then on developed as the main port of Lake Titicaca and an important town on the silver trail from Potosi. The town was further boosted late in the nineteenth century by the arrival of the railway.

Many areas of interest can be found in and around Puno. Take a drive to Copacabana and visit the remote towns of Juli and Pomata on the way before boarding the hydrofoil to the Sun Island where, according to legend, the first Inca appeared. After exploring the island's Inca remains and majestic views of Lake Titicaca and surrounding Andean mountains, continue on to Huatajata for a brief stop.

Take an excursion on the Lake to the Uros Islands, floating islands where you can purchase splendid handicrafts, and to Taquile Island.

At Taquile Island be prepared for the 500 steps, which must be tackled to get to the village but is well worth the effort for the view alone. Many travellers opt to stay a night on the island with a local family. Don't expect toilets or running water during your overnight stay, but do expect a truly special visit.

Another wonderful trip from Puno is a half-day excursion to Sillustani and its chullpas (pre-Columbian funeral towers) scenically set high above pristine Lake Ayumara.

Sacred Valley of the Incas

The beautiful valley, known as 'Vilcamayo' to the Incas, stretches out from the Inca citadels of Pisac to Ollantaytambo along the Urubamba River or "Sacred River".

Pisac is a small, pretty town just 30 km from Cusco. At the market of Pisac, indigenous vendors gather dressed in colourful, traditional clothing to sell their produce to one another and their crafts to you.

The picturesque village of Ollantaytambo in the Sacred Valley and its ruins are said to contain the most impressive Inca stonework anywhere in Peru. The village is overwhelmed by the great temple-fortress clinging to the sheer cliffs beside it.

Ollantaytambo is located where the valley becomes narrow and the road can no longer climb. It was used as a fortress to defend Cusco and the Sacred Valley of the Incas from the jungle tribes of the North .

The more romantic legend counts that Ollantay (the titan of the Andes), loved the princess Cusi Coyllor. The Inca King's daughter Pachacútec was in disagreement with this love and sent the princess to a house of virgins. Ollantay tried unsuccessfully to abduct her.

The ancient village of Urubamba, a former agricultural centre of the Incas, is a beautiful area with great fruit production.

The village, with its bustling market, still retains its traditional Andean charm and sits in the outskirts of the majestic snowy mountain Chicón.

Urubamba and the surrounding Sacred Valley area is famous for its incomparable landscape and breathtaking beauty that surrounds it.

Many travellers enjoy to participate in various adventure sports around Urubamba, including canoeing, hiking, mountain biking and horse riding.

The archaeological site, Moray, is both beautiful and impressive.
These circular agricultural terraces create micro-climates allowing various crops to be grown.

One of the nicest ways to reach Moray is by Peruvian Paso-style horseback riding. Riders travel across the hilltops above the awe-inspiring Sacred Valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes in the distance.

Also worthy of a visit are the Mares salt mines. A magnificent spectacle, this network of salt mines has been worked since pre-Inca times and is still in use today.

Cusco

The gateway to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley, Cusco is surrounded by the wonders of nature and impressive architectural ruins. Due to its position as the capital of the Inca dynasty, Cusco is a showcase of several different cultures - pre-Inca, Inca, Colonial and Republican.

Cusco was an administrative, military and holy city and is now the oldest inhabited city of the Americas. As a result, many splendid styles of architecture are found here, with the monasteries and cathedrals in Cusco reflecting the diversity of cultural influences on the city.

Cusco's Main Square is an ideal meeting place as it is the hub of the restaurants and bars in Cusco. Beautiful arcades with many shops and craft boutiques offer varied souvenirs, designed by local craftsmen. The vibrant street markets in Cusco should also not be missed.


The Cathedral and La Compañia, two of Cusco's colonial churches, frame the plaza. Another colonial church worthy of a visit is the church in San Blas, the artists' quarter, with its famous pulpit.

The 'Temple of the Sun', the Inca's most famous sacred building in Cusco, can today be found inside the Church of Santo Domingo as the Spaniards built the church around it.

Located just outside Cusco, Sacsayhuamán is a walled complex deserving a visit. Some believe this fascinating example of Inca stonework was a form of fortification, whilst others believe the stonework formed the head of the Puma (the shape that Cusco forms when seen from the air).


Hotel Monasterio, Cusco

The most luxurious hotel in Cusco, the Hotel Monasterio was originally built as a monastery in 1592. With 162 bedrooms and suites the hotel is located minutes from the Main Square of Cusco.

The hotel boasts oxygen enriched rooms, ideal to help travellers acclimatise to the high altitude. Gourmet food and luxury surroundings make this the perfect base for exploring Cusco.

The Hotel Monasterio was voted 'Best Hotel in South America' by readers of Condé Nast Traveller 2007.

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, is one of the most famous examples of Inca architecture and is located 112 km from the city of Cusco, 2,350 meters above sea level.

The ruins are surrounded by lush jungle and are believed to have been built in the mid-15th century by Inca Pachacutec. Lost in history, the ruins were not discovered until 1911 by the American explorer, Hiram Bingham.

This famous citadel combines the visual and spiritual force of magnificent natural scenery with a historic sanctuary, and was recently recognised as one of the 'New 7 Wonders of the World'.

The ruins themselves are situated on the eastern slope of Machu Picchu in two separate areas - agricultural and urban. The latter includes the civil sector (dwellings and canalisations) and the sacred sector (temples, mausoleums, squares and royal houses).

The history of Machu Picchu says that only the Inca and his noblemen, priests, priestesses and chosen women (Acllas) had free access to the premises of the Machu Picchu sanctuary.


The construction was generally in stone and the roofs were built of tree trunks and thatched with straw. The walls lean slightly inward to protect against earthquakes.

Situated opposite Machu Picchu, is Huayna Picchu, the peak of which offers panoramic views of the imposing spread of the Machu Picchu ruins and the Urubamba Valley.

The subtropical climate means generally mild weather, the average year-round temperature during the day is 13ºC. There are two distinct seasons - the rainy season is from November to March and brings heavy rains. The dry season from April to October brings higher temperatures.


Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge

If you are looking to maximise the time you can spend at Machu Picchu, the best hotel to stay at is the Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge.

The only hotel located alongside Machu Picchu, the hotel offers the magic of unforgettable sunrises and shimmering, moonlit nights over the ruins.

Set in its own gardens this hotel was voted 'Best Leisure Hotel in the Americas and Caribbean 2007' by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

The Trains To Machu Picchu

PeruRail operates four distinct train services, which connect some of the most beautiful parts of Peru.

The trains suit a range of travelling budgets from the comfortable yet functional Backpacker train, the Vistaodome trains with spectacular panoramic windows, our Andean Explorer styled on the Pullman trains of the 1920’s and the Hiram Bingham a luxurious Orient Express train dedicated to providing a impeccable service.

To discover more about the train services we run please select below,



Backpacker
The Backpacker trains are the most economical way to travel on the route between Machu Picchu, The Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) and Cusco (Poroy).

This service is ideal for our adventure passengers or for those seeking comfort and security, without all the frills.

These carriages offer travellers a true Peruvian experience. Seats are upholstered with indigenous fabrics, giving a touch of local flavour.

In this service drinks and snacks are served at an additional cost. We have room available to store your backpacks.

There are two Backpacker services, one which runs between Cusco (Poroy) and Machu Picchu, and the second one Backpacker Cerrojo service which runs between The Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) - Machu Picchu.

The service from Ollantaytambo (Sacred Valley) is the fastest way to reach Machu Picchu.


Vistadome
The Vistadome trains have beautiful panoramic windows offering unsurpassed scenic views and photographic opportunities as you enter the Inca's territory in search for Machu Picchu Citadel.

With glass surrounding them on all sides, passengers feel as if they are part of Peru's remarkable landscape.

Entertainment on board, snacks and hot and cold refreshments are included on the journey .

There are two Vistadome trains:

One Vistadome service runs between Poroy and Machu Picchu.

The train then descends from the highest point of the journey into the Sacred Valley and the foothills of the Andes. Before reaching Machu Picchu, the train travels along the Urubamba River, with awe-inspiring views of the dramatic canyon.

The other service is called Vistadome Valley and runs between The Sacred Valley (Ollantaytambo) - Machu Picchu. This service has several departure schedules and it's a faster trip to Machu Picchu


Hiram Bingham
The Hiram Bingham train is the most luxurious way to journey between Cusco and Machu Picchu.

For many visitors a trip to Machu Picchu is a once in a lifetime experience. The Hiram Bingham assures a magical journey never to be forgotten.



The Hiram Bingham is named after the explorer who discovered the fascinating remains of the Inca citadel, Machu Picchu on July 23rd 1911.

The carriages are painted a distinctive blue and gold while interiors are luxurious, warm and inviting with elegant decoration in the style of the 1920's Pullman trains.

As passengers step on board they are encompassed in a world of polished wood, gleaming cutlery and glittering glass.

The train consists of two Dining Cars, an Observation Bar Car and a Kitchen Car, and can carry up to 84 passengers.

The round trip between Machu Picchu and Cusco aboard the Hiram Bingham is a luxurious experience where every detail has been taken care of.

In the morning en route to Machu Picchu a brunch will be served as you watch the stunning landscape unfold.

Upon reaching your destination a guide will show you the highlights of the Machu Picchu citadel.

After the day exploring the marvel of Machu Picchu, cocktails and a gourmet dinner are served on the return to Cusco.

TRAIN TO MACHUPICCHU

PeruRail is a specialist train travel provider, running trains to Machu Picchu and beyond through some of the most beautiful parts of Peru. A choice of routes are available - between either historic Cusco or the Sacred Valley and the legendary Machu Picchu, or between Cusco and the marvelous Lake Titicaca.

Our trains suit a range of travelling budgets including the comfortable Backpacker trains, the Vistadome trains with spectacular panoramic windows and the luxurious Hiram Bingham train dedicated to providing an impeccable service in our route Cusco to Machu Picchu. And for Cusco to Puno we have the Andean Explorer, styled on the Pullman trains of the 1920’s and elegant train for one of the most stunning train rides in the world.

Exploring the lost city

Named one of the “new” Seven Wonders of the World in 2007, its distinctive silhouette is easily recognizable. And because way too many of us choose to visit Machu Picchu, the legendary Incan “lost” city in the Andes Mountains, the Peruvian government is soon planning to limit the number of daily visitors to protect their most famous site from damage caused by its huge popularity.

I first read about Machu Picchu as a Spanish student at A.C. Jones High School in the 1960s, and the mysterious city has fascinated me ever since. I had always wanted to visit the spectacular ruins, but hadn’t gotten around to it…

…until last spring, when my cousin Patsy Chesnutt Tucker of Buena Vista, Colo., called to tell me that she was planning to visit Machu Picchu, and did I want to go with her?

It took me about 30 seconds to make up my mind to accompany her.

As I began reading about Peru, the Incas and Machu Picchu, I wondered how my body would react to the highest altitudes I have ever visited. Cuzco is 11,000 feet above sea level, and Machu Picchu is at almost 8,000 feet.

It was July 30 when we flew out of Houston and began our journey.

Arriving at Cuzco, a city in southeastern Peru, and at the Hotel Arqueológico we were greeted with cups of coca leaf tea, one of the most common recommendations for countering altitude sickness.

Either the coca tea was very effective or my body adapted very well, for I had no problems other than having to stop and catch my breath frequently when climbing Cuzco’s many stairs and steep streets.

In most of the cities they conquered, the Spaniards destroyed the original buildings and constructed churches and government buildings on top of them. However, the Incan walls throughout the empire were so well built that it was evidently easier to build on top of them, rather than to tear them down. As a result, one gets the feeling of being in a 15th-century Incan city.

We wanted to try traditional Peruvian food and that meant a taste of cuy al horno – roasted guinea pig.

The small animals have been raised and eaten for special occasions by the Andean people for centuries.

One has to hunt for the meat on these small animals. The taste was somewhere between chicken and pork, not bad, but not tasty enough to repeat the experience.

While touring the area, we ran into former Coastal Bend College Spanish student Reneé DeLisse, an A.C. Jones High School graduate, and her college friend who were getting ready to board the train back to Cuzco, from where they were traveling to Lake Titicaca, after having completed their visit to Machu Picchu. Our paths crossed at exactly the right time.

After several days of touring the area, including the Cathedral of the Plaza de Armas, we headed for our long-awaited destination. After a bus ride of hairpins turns and a hike up a short trail, we were at Machu Picchu.

There it was: that internationally famous view, mostly in the clouds. We had goosebumps for we could see enough of the beautiful ruins to appreciate the incredible Incan architecture.

From our guide we learned that Machu Picchu was constructed between 1438 and 1650 and probably served as a hidden refuge after the Spanish conquest in 1532.

The city of 1,200 was abandoned in 1650, possibly because an Incan woman had brought her Spanish lover or husband to the city, he said. Their slain bodies were found at the sun gate, the entrance to the city.

We saw the sun tower, with one window through which the sun shines directly on June 21 and another perfectly located for the sun’s rays on Dec. 22.

Nearby was a cave where mummies in fetal positions were entombed. Our guide said his grandfather’s theory was that the condors take the spirits of the dead back to the valleys, where they are reincarnated as babies, hence the fetal position.

That afternoon we hiked the trail to the Inca Bridge, an ancient draw bridge on an amazing trail across the sheer face of a tall vertical rock wall.

I’m not afraid of heights, but I definitely don’t like unprotected edges, so I endured the hike by hugging the rock wall. The scenery was worth it.

Our second day in Machu Picchu we poked around in the residential areas and climbed to the Intihuatana, the “hitching post of the sun,” as it is called, at the highest point of the royal sector. Incan astronomers studied the Southern Cross from that location.

Washington Gibaja Tapia writes, la Pachamama has projects for millions of years, not just for “right now.” She taught the Incas to respect one another and the beautiful earth, to think of the generations who would come after them, and to build structures that would last 1,000 years.

Perhaps we need to take some lessons from the Incas.

Stone basins may be Miwok salt 'factory'

Somewhere in the Sierra Nevada, a granite terrace the size of a football field holds hundreds of mysterious stone basins representing what geologists believe is one of the earliest known "factories" created and used by ancient Miwok Indians to make tons of salt to trade with tribes up and down California.



James G. Moore, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, learned of the strangely pitted terrace from detailed maps made more than a century ago and hiked the region in May to study what he determined were clearly hand-hewn objects.

He examined 369 of the circular artifacts only a few yards from two streams of saltwater fed by a nearby spring and a lake that was equally salty.

Moore and his colleague at the USGS, Michael F. Diggles, believe the circular basins were handmade by the Miwok people in an impressive display of early technology. They have published a detailed account of their findings in an official Geological Survey report, but because the area is now an "archaeologically sensitive" site and its location protected by law, Moore is permitted only to say that the basins are in a canyon somewhere within the Stanislaus National Forest.

"This is quite likely to give us new insights into the lives of the Miwok people in the Sierra," said Kent G. Lightfoot, a UC professor of anthropology and a specialist in the history and culture of California's Native Americans.

Creating the basins
Records show that early American Indians, including the Miwok people, lived for thousands of years as hunter-gatherers in that area of the Sierra, Moore said, and it is filled with evidence of old settlements, with abundant middens, arrowheads and small stone tools. But learning how long ago the basins were carved awaits high-tech dating.

The basins average more than a yard in diameter and are more than 2 feet deep.

To create them, Moor and Diggles said, Miwok tribe members built fires on the granite surface that heated the stone until it fractured. They then crumbled and pounded the fractures with stone tools and removed the debris, inch by inch, until the basins were formed.

Diggles estimated it took Miwok workers nearly a year to complete a single one. He calculated that each fire used to dig a single layer of rock deepened the granite by no more than a centimeter. The process, he said, must have been repeated 100 times to make a single basin.

Similar granite basins were discovered in 1891 by Henry W. Turner, a geologist exploring California's mountains in what is now Sequoia National Park, Moore said in the Geological Survey report. Moore has examined those, too.

"I think of them as the Machu Picchu of North America," Moore said. Machu Picchu is the ancient city of stone in the Peruvian Andes, abandoned by the Incas nearly 500 years ago.

3 tons of salt a year
Salt springs are extremely rare in the Sierra Nevada, but Moore said the salt in the nearby streams probably comes from a layer of ancient marine sediment formed many millions of years ago when the area was covered by an ocean.

He said he believes the Miwok people carried water from the streams in watertight woven baskets, poured it into the basins and let it evaporate in the summer heat until the dry salt could be scooped out. The salt content of the water and the rate of water flow indicate that the two streams probably yielded about 3 tons of salt each year, Moore said.

The people of the area, he said, "had a large and valuable surplus to trade with other tribes - an early example of commerce by hunter-gatherer people."

Chemical analysis of the water also shows high levels of arsenic - 170 times higher than the maximum allowed in drinking water by the Environmental Protection Agency, he said. It is unknown whether arsenic made its way into the salt.

"Salt was an important commodity for Native Americans," UC Berkeley's Lightfoot said. "It is certainly possible that salt harvested from these basins could have been traded to other native groups in California and the Great Basin (east of the Sierra).

A day at Machu Picchu

When Hiram Bingham stumbled upon Machu Picchu on a 1911 expedition, it took him days of travel by foot and on mule to get there from Cuzco. Now, you can hop on a luxurious Hiram Bingham train from Cuzco, and be there in three-and-a-half hours, sipping pisco sours while you dine. It almost feels like cheating.

Our train journeyed through Peruvian high plains that produce potatoes and quinoa, passed agricultural terraces from Inca times and small villages where people stopped working to offer a friendly wave. It went along the tumbling Urubamba river, and finally pulled into the small town of Aguas Calientes. We spent the afternoon shopping in the extensive maze of handicraft stalls near the station, and slept for about four hours in our very uncomfortable hotel room.

Bleary-eyed, we left our hotel at the unearthly hour of 4 a.m. We walked across the bridge adjacent to our hotel to waiting buses for the ride up the serpentine road to Machu Picchu. The hair-raising bus ride was one hairpin turn after another. It was part of the adventure, with precipitous views — for those who dared to look — of the green valley below.

My husband and I hiked to a high vantage point before the sun could climb above the sharp, jungle-green peaks of the Vilcanota Range. Below, I saw the walls and foundations of a long-abandoned community, laid out with precision and care. Grey rocks formed the skeleton of the village, its masonry beautifully offset by verdant plazas where llamas grazed.

At the north end, the mountain Huayna Picchu rises lush and symmetrical, girdled by terraces similar to those carved out by farmers all across the Andes. Huayna Picchu, ‘young peak', is the most familiar backdrop for this magnificent setting. Machu Picchu, ‘old peak', looms above the entrance gate. For most visitors, the old peak serves as a handy perch for gazing at the place no one really knows about.

Royal retreat

Some 600 years ago, people built this city in the jungle at the behest of Pachacutec, the ninth Inca emperor. It seems that, as with other royal estates at Pisac and Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu was originally a commemorative site of Pachacutec's military victories that was transformed into a royal retreat and country palace as the frontier moved on. Used for high-status relaxation and entertainment, Machu Picchu was unable to survive once the Spanish had destroyed Inca economic and administrative organisation.

The arrangement of structures, plazas, terraced fields, symbolic carvings and impeccable Incan stonework at the site looks as if it had been intended for some kind of message. Over the valley and mountains is a sea of Amazon jungle. I doubt if Machu Picchu would be anywhere as striking if it stood beside the highway in the valley of the Rio Urubamba.

A walk around Machu Picchu is an adventure in itself. For those of us who live at sea level, the rarefied air took some getting used to. I tried to pace myself with a calming mantra, but the pulse in my ears beat an altogether more frantic rhythm. Thankfully, we finished our trip without further hitches.

A day at Machu Picchu feels like an audience with an A-list film star. As I reminisced about the tranquil ruins during dinner, it became crystal clear why the ‘lost city' fully deserves its title as a ‘wonder' of the modern world

Orient-Express acquires another hotel in Cusco, Peru

Orient-Express Hotels Ltd. have announced the acquisition of a existing hotel located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas (Urubamba, Cusco).
Hotel Rio Sagrado, a property set in beautiful gardens overlooking the Urubamba river with an imposing mountain backdrop.


The 21 suite property has been acquired from Industrias Turistica Vagamundos for US $7 million.


The hotel is only three kilometres away from the town of Urubamba and close to Ollantaytambo ruins, which is a regular stop for Peru Rail trains.


Rio Sagrado has 11 deluxe and 10 junior suites, plus two 250-square-meter villas, constructed from natural stone and woods; its 230 sq meters spa has a large treatment room with an amazing view of the Urubamba Sacred Valley.


The Sacred Valley, located between Cuzco and Machu Picchu, is a popular part of holiday itineraries in Peru.


This brings to five the number of Orient-Express properties in Peru. The others are the Miraflores Park in Lima; Hotel Monasterio, in Cusco; Machu Picchu Sanctuary Lodge (adjacent to the Inca Sanctuary); and Las Casitas del Colca ,in the Colca Canyon.