It has been 40 years since UNESCO recognized Machu Picchu as a World Heritage site. Let us remember the virtues of the most important gem of the Inca Empire that today delights the whole world and thousands of tourists who are amazed daily during their visit to one of the modern world wonders.
Machu Picchu, the breathtaking Inca construction situated on the slopes of the Andes and hidden from the Spanish by fate's fortune, remained a secret for centuries until its discovery in 1911. Since then, it has captivated the entire world, receiving multiple international recognitions and awards. One of the most distinguished is its designation as a World Heritage Site approximately 40 years ago.
On December 9, 1983, Machu Picchu was declared a "World Heritage Site" by UNESCO, a recognition given to places of outstanding natural or cultural significance to the common heritage of humanity. The protected area includes 32,592 hectares, which not only encompass the archaeological site but also the flora, fauna, and landscapes, highlighting the abundant presence of orchids.
In the history of Machu Picchu as a World Heritage Site, we must consider an event that contributed to the organization of tourism exercised in this Historic Sanctuary, since in 2015, members of UNESCO met to discuss placing Machu Picchu on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, due to the excessive influx of visitors to the Inca citadel at that time.
It was not until 2017, the year in which the two years granted by UNESCO to the Peruvian Government to take necessary measures to better manage tourist visits to Machu Picchu expired, preventing it from being categorized as an endangered heritage site.
Among the measures that the Peruvian State considered was the implementation of the sustainable tourism use plan for Machu Picchu, which establishes important points for tourist entry such as setting entry and exit shifts, the maximum daily capacity of tourists, and some restrictions regarding permitted or prohibited actions in the Inca Llaqta.
This architectural marvel is strategically located between the Andes and the Cusco Amazon and houses a wide diversity of wildlife and flora, where the landscape is systematically associated with archaeological remains that demonstrate the high level of knowledge the Incas had in engineering and science.
Among the flora species, large forests of native trees such as q'euña, alder, intimpa, cedar, pisonay, and especially more than 423 species of orchids stand out, which have sparked great interest among botany enthusiasts.
Machu Picchu also features the presence of microclimates, allowing the formation of fragile ecosystems where small species such as insects, birds, and mammals thrive, including the Andean bear or spectacled bear, Rupicola peruviana or commonly known as the cock-of-the-rock, Peru's national bird; river otter, sword-billed hummingbird, mountain turkey, dwarf deer, Andean fox, condor, and the torrent duck as the most representative, some of which are threatened with extinction.
Do not miss the opportunity to visit this world wonder, undoubtedly a must-see for every traveler.
Happy passengers