Machu Picchu lies at the junction of the humid low Urubamba basin and the benign Vilcanota Valley that was the ‘breadbasket’ of Inca culture.
The 32 592 ha Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary was established by the Peruvian government in 1981, and in 1983 was designated a World Heritage Site for natural and cultural heritage.
It contains a mix of subtropical forest and towering snow peaks, and a plethora of jungle covered ruins linked together by Inca paths.
Predominant tree species lie between 3000 and 38000 m in attitude including, Myrcianthes oreophyla, Escallonia resinosa, Vallea stipularis, Myrsine latifolia and Alnus articulata.
Several woody species are multi-stemmed or grow in either shrub or tree form.
Some of the rarest Andean birds are found in forest fragment that surround the more isolated Inca ruins and terraces of the area.
The forest of Machu Picchu
