Machu Picchu

The lost Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru was believed to have been built in the 15th centur y, but was abandoned less than 100 years later, when the Spanish conquered the Incan Empire. Unbelievably, this amazing site was largely forgotten until the early 20th centur y. Today, however, it is a thriving tourist destination, accessible by train – or if you’re feeling fit, by hiking along the mountain trails. There are around 200 structures in this ancient spiritual and astronomical centre. See where the Incas farmed on great terraces, and explore where they lived.