Famed as one of the New Wonders of the World, Machu Picchu Citadel is the jewel of Peruvian tourism. And up until now, no route to Machu Picchu had more cachet than the famous segment of the network of Inca trails that has come to be known as the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. Now, however, authorities hope to diversify the options available to travelers within the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. The sanctuary houses great natural beauty thanks to its lush greenery and expansive views, and alongside Machu Picchu Citadel itself, it also houses nine smaller archeological sites and seven trails.
The Sanctuary director has announced that together with Cusco's Ministry of Culture and the department charged with managing the country's natural parks, SERNAMP, they are elaborating a development project based on the site's Conservation Plan and the recommendations of UNESCO.
Currently, the ruins of Machu Picchu draw the attention of thousands of tourists who visit Peru each month. Tourism is concentrated in the ruins and along the main route, the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. However, there are six ancient Incan trails within the reserve, not one; the other trails were never opened to the public because, until recently, investment and maintenance has only been dedicated to the famous route. Meanwhile, the other routes withered due to neglect, natural causes, and illegal logging and accidental fires within the sanctuary. The decline in logging and forest fires, as well as greater care by those encharged with protecting the sanctuary, has allowed the flora and fauna of the area to regenerate to such an extent that they are now deemed stable enough to receive hikers. By opening the other routes to the public, travelers who can't hike the Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu due to the daily limits will have another option available, and revenue can be redirected for the maintenance of these trails as well.
Most tourists visit Machu Picchu Citadel in the morning. For the last few years, various plans have been suggested to better distribute the weight of the daily visitors. For this reason, authorities hope that those who opt for different trails will arrive in the afternoons when the citadel is emptier.
Most of the routes and archeological sites in min have been known for decades, although one was just discovered earlier this year, as tunnel beginning it was hidden by the overgrowth of the high-altitude jungle. The trails pass through different archeological sites within the reserve, such as Incaraccay, the Temple of the Moon, the 50 steps, and sites also located along the Classic Inca Trail such as Wiñayhuana and the Intipunku Sun Gate. In the time span between 2015 and 2019, all of these sites and trails will open to the public.
