Camino Inca
Inca Trail is a hiking route in Peru, laid by the Incas, which will take you to Machu Picchu and allow you to experience the beauty of a difficult stony, but insanely picturesque path. It is 39 kilometers long, half of which is paved with skillfully fitted stones and leads through amazingly beautiful terrain, crossing different landscape zones: it starts from the rugged mountain scenery dissected by black granite rocks and ends in the humid jungle of the Iunga Valley.
.The Inca Trail is the only road to Machu Picchu that has always been used only for religious purposes. Minimum: 2,600 meters above sea level; maximum: 4,200 meters above sea level.
History
The Incas were great road builders, they always tried to take the shortest route between two populated areas. However, they had a huge obstacle – the Incas had to overcome a giant mountain barrier – the Andes. They developed methods of road building to suit the difficult conditions of the mountainous terrain. Where it was necessary to overcome a steep slope, they built a ladder, where they had to overcome an impregnable rock, they cut a tunnel, and over bottomless chasms they threw suspension bridges. In the highlands they stone barriers blocked their paths from the snow, and in the deserts built along the roads of mud brick walls to prevent them from sand.
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Strictly speaking, it is not quite right to call all these roads Inca trails. Some of them existed even earlier, they were paved by peoples who lived in these places before the Incas. But whoever the creator of these roads, the important thing is that they are still serving people today, giving today’s tourists a great opportunity to admire the great diligence and skill of their distant ancestors.
.Routes
Acclimatization is mandatory. The first hours of stay do not make strong physical efforts; food should be light for fast digestion and you should drink tea made from the leaves of the coca plant (mate de coca) to avoid mountain sickness. You must be in good physical shape to do long treks. Observe and follow all the rules to preserve and protect the Inca Trail.
.Weather / Climate
Along the way, you will experience a variety of ecosystems and altitudes, due to this drastic changes in climate. In general there are two periods characterized by weather: the dry period from April to October and the rainy period from November to March.
Regulatory provisions
According to the regulations of the Machu Picchu Management Unit (UGM), there are 2 forms of hiking the Inca Trail: by booking the services of a travel agency authorized to conduct this activity (issued by the Machu Picchu Management Unit) or the services of a professional guide, also authorized to work professionally with tourists on the above-mentioned routes. It is possible to hire porters for hiking.
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