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The
Lost City of Machu Picchu is without a doubt the most
recognizable symbol of Inca Civilization and knowledge. "The
Inca Trail", as it is known now, was the Royal Highway that
led pilgrims and officials of the Empire to the Sacred City of
the Incas.
Hiking the Inca Trail is a highly rewarding holiday
choice! It is one of the greatest if no the best of its kind in
the world. This is due to the exquisite natural beauty and
unforgettable views you see during the trek. It offers a wide
variety of ecological states, from deserts to tropical Andean
cloud forest; home to exotic plants and animal life. On the
Inca Trail, there are over 250 known species of orchids, and
numerous ecosystems rare birds, reptiles and other animals,
including several species considered to be in danger of
extinction.
Walking the ancient Inca Trail gives you the opportunity
to visit overgrown Inca buildings undiscovered by the Spanish
Empire, giving you the feeling that you are the first to come
across them. It is like a step back in time.
Walking this Andean highway is truly a fascinating and
unforgettable experience. The Trail is paved with blocks of
stone. It has stone stairways, tunnels and wooden bridges. It
crosses rivers, streams, temperate valleys, warm cloud forests
and cold highlands. Truly amazing.
Witnessing and experiencing these wonders makes the traveler
marvel at the intellectual and spiritual grandeur of Andean man,
whose highest achievement was the Inca civilization.
The Inca Trail is part of a 30,000 kilometer highway
system, that integrated the vast Inca Empire of Tawantinsuyo
(The Four Ways), running from southern Colombia to central Chile
passing through the cities of Quito in Ecuador; Cajamarca,
Huanuco, Jauja, Huamanga and Cusco in Peru; La Paz and
Cochabamba in Bolivia; and finishing in Salta and Tucuman in
Argentina. These highways run mainly by the coast, through the
Highlands and in some cases reached the tropical mountains near
the Amazon forest. The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a
fine example of this last type of highway.
Following the footsteps of the original Incas, on one of the
most accessible treks in the region, the Inca Trail to
the enigmatic Machu Picchu, The Lost City of the Incas, is one
of the greatest adventures you are ever likely to have.
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