Machu Picchu is the lost city of the Incas and an international tourism destination located nearly 8,000 feet above sea level in the Peruvian Andes, not far from the Spanish colonial city of Cuzco. The city of ruins, lost to outsiders for centuries before being rediscovered by explorer Hiram Bingham in 1911, is known for its stunning setting, enormous temples, fine masonry, ambitious scale and eerie mysteries — it was abandoned for an unknown reason by the Incas sometime around the Spanish conquest of Peru in the 16th century. Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the majestic ruins are a must-see on a visit to Peru.
