Andean Odyssey Destinations – Cusco, Ancient Machu Picchu and Other Marvels

Cusco and ancient Machu Picchu were at the center of the Inca Empire and remain the central tourist destinations in the Andean countries of South America.

Cusco – considered the Center of the World to the builders of ancient Machu Picchu – is today a bustling city that beckons the traveler with both its awe-inspiring Incan and Spanish Colonial architecture and its delightful surrounding countryside.

An efficient train service runs daily from Cusco to ancient Machu Picchu, or the more adventurous may prefer to arrive on foot via the Inca Trail. Ancient Machu Picchu is believed to have been built in the 15th century, but was lost until 1911, when Hiram Bingham of Yale University found it buried under four centuries of the same kind of lush vegetation that surrounds it today. In addition to its spectacular natural surroundings, the visitor will be astounded by the stonework of ancient Machu Picchu, which was built without the benefits or mortar.

Half-way between Cusco and ancient Machu Picchu lies the lush Sacred Valley of the Incas. Previously the breadbasket of the Inca Empire, today the Sacred Valley is a peaceful retreat where the traveler can also find spectacular ruins, an unforgettable handicraft market and first-class accommodations.

Other destinations in Peru include the mysterious pre-Incan ruins of the northern coastal region and the famous Nazca Lines. And Peru’s vast Amazon jungle region offers what may be the most rewarding plant and animal viewing available anywhere.

Lake Titicaca – the world’s highest navigable lake – is a destination that Peru shares with Bolivia. Bolivia also boasts the world’s highest capital city at La Paz, delightful colonial towns that recall its colonial riches, and the fabulous, untamed beauty of its Andean highlands and Amazonian lowlands.

The Galapagos Islands are the best known destination in Ecuador. This Pacific archipelago is a virtual laboratory of evolution and home to many animal species unknown elsewhere. Quito, known as the most scenic capital city in Latin America, is nearby many other important tourist destinations, including Mitad del Mundo, where the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet at the equator, the indigenous Andean town of Otovalo, and the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano. Ecuador’s beaches and Amazon rainforest are other luring destinations.

Destinations in Chile are largely the product of its unusual and wide-ranging geography. Its northern Atacama Desert is the driest and perhaps the most beautiful of the world’s deserts, while it’s central region spans Andean ski resorts and Pacific beach resorts. Destinations in the south include the Swiss-like Lake District and the wilds of Patagonia and Antarctica. And Easter and Robinson Caruso islands in Chile’s South Pacific also count among Chile’s top tourist destinations.

So whether your destination is Cusco and ancient Machu Picchu or another of the many marvels that Peru, Bolivia Ecuador and Chile have to offer, you’re at the right place. For the best in travel to South America – click below on the country of your choice to view details of the variety of destinations offered by Andean Odyssey.