The terrible flooding around Machu Picchu and the tiny town of Aguas Calientas at the foot of the ancient site has rendered the ruins off limits to tourists. The main rail line from Cusco was damaged in 8 places and part of the Inca Trail was also damaged meaning they’ve had to cancel bookings. This is sad news for all the tourists (up to 1000 per day to the ruins) who would have booked their holidays months ago.
Machu Picchu hides under the clouds
The Hiram Bingham luxury train from Cusco to Aguas Calientes has also closed and is not expected to be operational until June.
But authorities have been working round the clock to open a new route which should be completed by March combining paved and unpaved roads as well as rail links.
The new route will take longer, between 7.5 – 9 hours from Cusco instead of 4, and will pass through Sacred Valley, Ollantaytambo, Malaga, Santa Teresa and Aguas Calientes.
Travel wholesaler South America Tourism Office (SATO) says that Machu Picchu is currently closed to the public and it is not guaranteed it will be re-opened by April, but they do stress there is plenty more to see in Peru, including more archeological sites that you may not have seen otherwise.
Related Posts
No related posts.
Tags: Machu Picchu, Peru
Loading ...
