A village near Peru's famed Machu Picchu ruins has built a bridge over the turbulent Vilcanota River, opening a cheap backdoor route for adventurous, cash-strapped backpackers.
The bridge was inaugurated last Saturday in the village of Santa Teresa despite the objections of government cultural experts, who fear increased tourism could threaten the UNESCO World Heritage site as hostels and restaurants spring up to serve travelers.
They also say increased tourism could imperil rare flora and fauna in the highland jungle surrounding the Inca ruins that are dramatically perched on a ridge 500km southeast of Lima.
But authorities in Santa Teresa, less than 20km from the base of the mountain on which Machu Picchu was built, are hoping the bridge will help the local economy secure a piece of the tourism pie. Travelers would have to spend the night in the village before continuing on to Machu Picchu.
The site, a complex of stone buildings built by the Inca empire that controlled the area when the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Peru in 1532, has been reachable until now only by train from Cuzco.
The new route targets thrifty backpackers who want to avoid the pricey train tickets, which start at US$73 and run as high as US$547 for the luxury service. The trains are operated by a British-Peruvian company that has a concession from the state.
The new route involves an eight-hour bus ride through avalanche country, along narrow, twisting dirt roads bordering deep precipices. From Santa Teresa, travelers cross the bridge to catch rides on trucks to a hydroelectric plant, then hike 11km along railroad tracks to reach Aguas Calientes, down the mountain from Machu Picchu.
The total cost: Less than US$10, though prices are informal and vary.
Authorities from the National Institute of Culture, which is charged with protecting Peru's many pre-Columbian ruins, warned the village last year to drop its plans for the bridge, saying it could lead to too many people visiting the delicate ruins.
Village officials ignored the order.
"It's a door to our development and all the people are happy," Santa Teresa Mayor Reynaldo Vargas said by telephone. "Three or four years ago in Santa Teresa it was a novelty to have five or six tourists, but now we are receiving 200 tourists a day."
An average of 2,000 tourists a day visit Machu Picchu, with a maximum set at 2,500. Some archaeologists say the limit should be much lower, arguing that large numbers of visitors trekking over the stone steps will eventually damage the ruins.
UNESCO has expressed concern over rapidly expanding tourism to Machu Picchu, and will send a delegation in April to determine whether the new bridge threatens the ruins.
RSS