Category: Peru

The most famous and spectacular way to reach Machu Picchu is hiking the Inca Trail: a path carved across the side of mountains that takes about four days, according to the route you choose. It recently became so popular that the maximum capacity is quickly reached and it’s quite hard to find a place in a tour, unless you opt for the high luxury range.

We got there from Cusco, in pure DIY fashion and keeping the costs to the bone. Here’s how we did it…

How to get access to Machu Picchu

The archaeological site, UNESCO heritage, has a limited number of daily tickets which are dealt with by the government. The tickets need to be purchased in advance if you want to guarantee your access on a specific day, and even more so if you want also to climb to Huayna Picchu, which is the peak visible in the most iconic photos. From up there you’ll have a great view on the site and you’ll have access to what remains of the buildings that the Incas thought well to build on those all but vertical walls at 2700m.
As an alternative the other mountain (which name is Machu Picchu but to avoid confusion is called montaña) can be added to the ticket. The view is less rewarding and the climb is tougher.

How to buy the ticket

Tickets are sold on the website machupicchu.gob.pe. The procedure is not straightforward but quite simple to sum up:

1. Select site, ruta (route), date and number of people to proceed with the purchase;
2. You’ll get a file with a booking code. Such code will be needed to make the payment in the “PAGOS” section of the website. The payment needs to be processed within three hours from the booking;
3. Once the payment is confirmed you’ll need to check-in, in the “CHECK – IN” section of the website. Only now you well get the proper entrance ticket, one page per person.

You’ll receive in total three documents but the entrance will be only guaranteed with this ticket. Absolutely necessary to bring the ID specified in the ticket and the bank card used for the payment.

How to get there

If you got this far in the page I guess you’re not considering taking the helicopter or the train to get there. Otherwise you’re on the wrong blog.
The Inka Rail trains have ridiculous prices, unless you are a Peruvian citizen. But for those who won’t make it to the Inka Trail there’s an alternative – and significantly cheaper – way to reach Machu Picchu from Cusco.

Any agency in Cusco can book the bus per Hidroelectrica, via Santa Teresa. It will be a small creaky 12 seater recklessly driving on dusty roads for 6 hours. The last part of this road is on the edge of a precipice and, obviously, two-ways. Make sure you have enough coca leaves and anything you might need for motion sickness.
After the bus starts a 13km walk along the railway to get to Agua Calientes, also known as Machu Picchu Pueblo. The walk takes on a pleasant path cutting across a strip of forest at the foot of the Inca mountains where you can see exotic plants such as mango, papaya and avogado, eat coffee beans straight from the plant and perhaps spot a flock of green parrots.
The next day will start at 4am, queuing up at the gate where the ascent starts. The gate opens at 5 and from there is a good hour of steps to get to Machu Picchu: 1.3km for a 500 climb.
We spend two nights in Agua Calientes, dedicating one day for each way of the trip and a whole day in Machu Picchu rather than having to run away at noon to catch the bus.

Suggestions

The worst mistake I made was the choice in clothing. Despite the high altitude the area is subtropical, hence warm and humid.
Another big problem is represented by insect bites: mosquitoes, midges, sand flies… whatever those beasts were they left conspicuous marks on arms, face and any other corner of exposed flesh.
Last thing about water and food provisions: the shops in Agua Calientes aren’t cheap but not exceedingly more expensive than the ones in Cusco. Just take the necessary for the bus trip and the hike and avoid taking on your shoulders, say, 6 litres of water. In Hidroelectrica there are several restaurants serving decent food for 10 soles.

To sum up:

• Light / technical clothing
• Long sleeves, long trousers
• DEET repellents to soak your clothes in
• Antihistamines in case of bites
• Water and food for 6 hours on a but and 3 on foot

Sustainable tourism in Machu Picchu?

I have no doubts, tourism in Machu Picchu is unsustainable. As a UNESCO site the daily limit should be 2500 people, but it easily gets to 5000 or more. More than the 70% of those, according to our guide, don’t even bother walking the last bit of just over 1km and take instead one of the many diesel shuttle buses incessantly going up and down. Often they reach Agua Calientes by train which, as romantic as it might sound, not only is absurdly expensive but vomits on each trip thick clouds of black smog on the lush forest it crosses.
It’s also easier to observe that the less effort a tourist puts into reaching a place the least is their respect for it. The guides spend their time explaining facts and stories to deaf ears, mostly patiently waiting for each member of the group to take the perfect facebook photo, telling off those unlawfully feeding the lamas or putting their and others lives in danger with the ubiquitous selfie stick.

The government turns a blind eye for the sake of money and, as it usually happens, who pays the consequences are those who cultivate a genuine interest and want to experience a meaningful visit of Machu Picchu and the remarkable guides. But also the future visitors as with this reckless policy of overcrowding and pollution the integrity of the site itself is in danger.
If it was for me I would abolish all the buses, leaving a service only for those who are physically unable to walk, but this will just be a dream as long as short-term profit is the decisive factor.  I’m sure that these places need to be earned with time and sweat because, if its true that it’s everyone’s right to visit such an important site, it’s also true that everyone must also deserve it.

Lake Titicaca is in the southern part of Peru, across the border with Bolivia. Located at the dizzying heigth of 3800m a.s.l. it’s the highest navigable lake and deserves a visit for its pretty islands and the colourful and lively communities that populate the area.

Puno and the Islands

The starting point for those who come from Peru is Puno. The city is pretty ugly and doesn’t deserve more than the necessary time. It’s all about a Plaza de Armas, a tourist strip with some restaurants and little more. Even the Central Market, usually our favourite place and focal point of every city we visited, is quite unremarkable. I feel almost guilty in writing that because it was here that we lived one of the best experiences of our stay: stranded in town while every other tourist was on some organised trip, we ended up in a colourful parade. It was beautiful and everyone was so positive and friendly that they made it up for all the time we didn’t enjoy the city.

Uros, Taquile and Amantaní

The only real reason to visit Puno should be the island that can be reached from there. To visit them there are two kind of standard tours:

1. One day: visiting the islands of Uros and Taquile
2. Two days: visiting the Uros Islands and sleeping on Amantaní; lunch in Taquile the next day

In each agency you’ll be shown beautiful photos but it’s all a massive tourist trap. The floating island of Uros are fascinating: how they’re built and maintained, and the history behind that, but it’s mostly a big floating souvenir shop where you’ll spend most of the time dishing out “no gracias” to people selling all sort of things. It’s less dramatic on the two other islands but it all feels pretty false, and everything seems made just to please the average squandering tourist. The night on Amantaní island will be spent in a family house, a beautiful way to directly finance the local communities but bear in mind this is no couchsurfing: you might find an exceptionally friendly family but otherwise you’re business as usual. They’ll provide you with a warm dinner and clean bedding and that’s it, most of them also speak mostly quechua which is fascinating but might make the communication even more complicated. Moreover you’ll be forced to take part to a town fest that will take place exactly when you are there, what a coincidence. They’ll dress you up and make you dance. If you have a passion for the deliberate entertainment you’re going to love it.

Where to sleep: Hostal Pukara (Jr. Libertad Nº 328). Good location, very clean, hot water and heating in the rooms.
Where to eat: La Casona (Jirón Lima 423). Tasty alpaca meat, craft beers. Otherwise the city is plenty of pizzerias with wood fired oven most of them are on Jirón Libertad, go for the busiest one.
Responsible Travel Agency: Any agency offers island tours, but this is the only one we found that gives importance to financing the local communities: at All Ways travel you will only pay the agency and transport fee while you’ll pay the rest directly to the hosting families.

How to get in Bolivia

After Puno it will be a relief to move to Bolivia, on the eastern shores of the lake. It takes 3 hours by bus and the ticket can be made directly at the bus station (if you want to save on the agency fees), or at the agency (if you want to save time and the moto-taxi fee to get to the station, which is usually 2 soles).
If you don’t need a visa it’s very easy to get in: you’ll just need to fill the papers you’ll be handed on the bus and go through the two border offices for the stamps.
The bus usually stops a bit before the border to change the local currency, the Bolivianos (which is roughly 10 to 1 Sol).

Copacabana and the Islands

Copacabana in Bolivia is just about more pleasant than Puno: the action happens all around Avenida 6 de Agosto, the classic bar-and-restaurants strip with the bus stops on one end and the harbour on the other.

Isla del Sol

Isla del Sol is stunning and offers some unforgettable views: terraces peppered with white alpacas, white sand beaches grazed by the deep blue waters and, far at the back, the snowy caps of the Andean Sierra.
Boats leave Copacabana twice a day to the south of the island (the closest part, can be visited in one day), and the north. In the north is possible to visit the sacred sites of the Incas and, before them, the Aymara, from the port follow one of the guides that will lead the group for a one hour hike and will explain the history of the place, mixing facts and mythology.

The best route, if you arrive in Copacabana in the morning, is: take a ferry to the Comunidad Yumani in the south (if you take the 1pm boats you’ll arrive mid-afternoon) and start the trek across the island. It’s a quite easy hike of about two hours and you can stop anywhere to spend a night, there’s plenty of hotels and B&Bs so I wouldn’t worry to much about it. The next day you can visit the archaeological sites and take a boat back.

Where to sleep: If you don’t sleep on the island just look for a decent place near the port, which on Google Maps is marked here: Monumento Avaroa. Avoid the hotel Lago Azul and make sure your place has hot water and heating, you’ll need it.
Where to eat: you’ll be spoilt for choice along Avenida 6 de Agosto, which looks like a 3D version of the Lonely Planet suggestions page. We had a good meal at El Trebol, a place with a preposterous but charming decor and some tasty vegetarian options.