Machu Picchu

Peru · ancient ruins · mountains · history

Sky-high city. Machu Picchu sits on a mountain ridge about 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above sea level, way up where the clouds drift by.

Built by the Inca. This stone citadel was built in the 1400s by the Inca people, one of South America's most powerful ancient civilizations.

Near Cusco. It's found in southern Peru, about 80 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco, high above the Sacred Valley.

River canyon below. The Urubamba River winds far below, carving a deep canyon around the mountains with a warm, subtropical climate.