Peru travel Insight #3: Why Machu Picchu was never found by the Spanish.

Aracari’s Weekly Insight

It is thought that the Spanish conquistadores did not track down Machu Picchu because it had actually been abandoned by the Incas shortly before the arrival of Spanish soldiers to the Cusco area during their conquest of the Incas in the 1530’s. With no word from the Incas about the site, they had no reason to look for it as their conquest went on.

As to why it was abandoned, we’re still not sure. Some theories suggest that the population was decimated by the Smallpox disease that was introduced to the Americas by Europeans, and had likely spread through Central and South America to the Cusco region before the Spanish had even arrived.

Peru travel Insight #3: Why Machu Picchu was never found by the Spanish., Aracari Travel

It was not until 1911 that Hiram Bingham first came across Machu Picchu, and 100 years later we are celebrating with our Trip of the Century.

As the Peru luxury travel specialists we also organise a whole host of Machu Picchu luxury tours.

Related Post
Lucia de la Puente stands tall amongst Lima art galleries Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Lucia de la Puente for an inside look into the life and work of this highly-regarded gallery...
Vancouver exhibit of Peruvian silver, including pieces from Larco Muse... On October 5th, the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada will open the exhibit Luminescence: the Silver o...
Quinta Miraflores Boutique Hotel Review Quinta Miraflores Boutique Hotel is a charming boutique hotel right in the heart of Miraflores in the capital Lima. A home-away-from-home, the small p...
Aracari in the Arts For all Art Lovers out there! As part of our mission of being "conduits of Art and Culture to a Discerning Clientele" Aracari's own Marisol Mosquera i...
Dana White: Family Travel Planner Extraordinaire Education doesn’t have to happen in a classroom -- family travel with young children can be formative to developing a global perspective and broadenin...
Polleras: All Dressed Up As you travel through the Andes, a few things might catch your eye: the flash of a snow-capped mountain, a shaggy-haired alpaca or the vibrant clothes...