Historical Sanctuaries
These intangible areas are designed to protect and preserve cultural, natural or historical events (land marks) in their natural original stage.
| Name |
Extensión |
| Chacamarca |
2,500 hectares |
| Pampas de Ayacucho |
300 hectares |
| Machu Picchu |
32,592 hectares |
Historical Sanctuary of Machu Picchu
The historical sanctuary of Machu Picchu
protect the fragile mountain ecosystems
and preserve important species of fauna
and flora, numerous archaeological sites,
and the surrounding forest.
UNESCO declared a World Natural and cultural
Heritage site, and the Peruvian Government
established as Historical Sanctuary in 1981
over the 32592 hectares of Machu Picchu.
It is located in the Department of Cusco,
120 km. NW of the city of Cusco. Machu Picchu
has an altitude between 5906 feet to 20571
feet, (1800 to 6270m). Machu Picchu and
Huayna Picchu comprise the best known archaeological
complex in Peru and one of the most important
in the world.
There are more than 300 types of birds in
Machu Picchu. The National bird of Peru
(Rupicola peruviana) the Andean cock of
the rocks, the Andean condor (Vultur gryphus),
torrent duck (Merganetta armata), speckled
Hummingbird (Adelomyia melanogenys), American
kestrel (Falco sparverius), Rufescent tiger
Heron (Tigrisoma lineatum), Rufous collared
sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis), Streaked
necked flycatcher (Mionectes striaticollis),
among others live in the area.
In the sanctuary there are several species
of monkeys, rodents, mountain cats, tamandua
anteaters, the Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus),
the native bear (Spectacled bear), puma,
the giant Morpho species, spiders, millipedes,
the coral snake, boa, etc.
Andean and Amazonian vegetation are found
in Machu Picchu: Uculmano (Podocarpus oleifolius),
laurel (Nectandra sp), cedar (cedrela sp).
A lot of ornamental plants and more than
200 registered species of orchids, Bromelias
(Puya weberbaurei ), begonias among others.
