Cuzco To Machu Picchu Getting There Is Half The Fun
January 25th, 2011 by Vilma Clemons, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
The train journey from Cuzco to Machu Picchu takes 3 to 4.5 hours depending mainly on the specific train service used. Either way, the landscape is dramatic and the journey is a lot of fun. Most people plan an early start so that they maximize their time that day at the destination.
But the route is winding with some steep gradients. Also, the track space is often so narrow that train seems about to scrap a gorge wall or slip into the adjacent Urubamba (meaning Sacred) River. These constraining features all make for a slow journey, but also a stunning one that will be long remembered.
The day begins with a short taxi or bus ride to the Poroy train station, about twenty minutes from the center of Cuzco. Poroy is the station for the train service run by PeruRail. It offers various styles of travel from Backpacker to Vistadome and Expedition as well as the super luxury Higham Bingham service. All services provide a world class experience in comfortable, climate controlled carriages.
The rail journey travels in a northeast direction with the towering Andes lying to the west. It may be divided into two parts. The first part stretches from Poroy to Ollantaytambo. The second pat runs from Ollantaytambo to Machu Picchu.
The journey begins by meandering across the Cuzco valley floor before entering a narrow gorge at Huarocondo and finally passing through the village of Piscar into the Sacred Valley of the Incas known as Vilcamayo to the Incas. The train stops at Ollantaytambo, this town being roughly the midpoint of the total journey. The second section of the journey is totally within the Sacred Valley and follows the Urubamba River all the way to Aquas Calientes at the base of Machu Picchu citadel.
The rail line eventually leads into the Urubamba Gorge. Coriwaynachina (or Qorihuayrachina), also known simply as Kilometer 88, marks the start of the famous Inca trail. This trail has been walked by generations of hikers as their entry to Machu Picchu. A large set of carved rock stairs lead up to a complex of building ruins. Those buildings always benefit from a strong wind that rises up from the valley floor. Because of this feature the Inca used the buildings as a location to smelt gold.
After Km 88, the train soon passes through a short tunnel into an area occupied by a series of agricultural terraces that mark the ruins of Qente. In Quechua, Qente means hummingbird and these birds are prolific in this area. Its unique microclimate is dominated by a nearby waterfall. Steep gorge walls provide the area with a high level of seclusion and weather protection. Bright orchids and bromeliads bloom throughout the year. They form one of the delightful features on the train journey from Cuzco to Machu Picchu.
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