Upon entering Machu Picchu, you encounter the Guardian Houses, a unique architectural ensemble at the eastern entrance. These five stepped structures offer a clear view of Inca design and served as dwellings for farmers working the nearby terraces and storing products in kallancas.
The agricultural sector of Machu Picchu exemplifies the ingenuity of the Incas in adapting the land in difficult conditions. The city features horizontal terraces called andenes, carved into the mountain slopes to cultivate over 100 plant types while combating erosion and optimizing water drainage.
Dominated by an intricate network of elevated terraces designed to maximize cultivation on steep slopes. At the top sits a ceremonial plaza with paqarinas, an altar dedicated to agricultural gods, and qolqas essential for food security.
Located below the main path, it demonstrates Inca adaptation. Formerly mistaken for ‘lower guardhouses’, it actually housed farmers’ residences and includes numerous productive terraces improved with imported humus.
Located south of the Temple of the Sun, this two-story palace shows sophisticated design with inclined walls, double-framed doors, and advanced vertical and horizontal high-security locking systems.
Located in the heart of Machu Picchu, this semicircular structure built on a massive rock was a key solar observatory that allowed the Incas to measure the winter solstice in honor of the sun god Inti.
Situated beneath the Temple of the Sun, this intriguing space is accessed by a rock-carved staircase leading to an irregular grotto with trapezoidal niches and a three-level altar representing heaven, earth, and the underworld.
A three-walled structure featuring Inca design. It stands out for its wall slits, likely used to store tools and supplies for maintaining and managing the nearby sacred water fountains.
16 carved stone water fountains distributed in levels and connected by channels crossing from the agricultural sector to the Temple of the Sun. They were essential for purification rites and provided fresh drinking water.
Also known as the King’s Group, located in the upper urban sector. It housed elite families and features symmetrical construction, a private running water channel, and separate enclosures for sleeping, living, and storing.
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