Peru

About two- and a-half hours by car from Cusco, this Inca town has maintained the integrity of its design. Next to the plaza Hanan Huacaypata, there are 15 blocks with large houses built upon Inca fields of wrought stone. Within the skirt of the mountain that dominates the town, you'll find the buildings of the Temple of the Sun, the Incahuatana and the "Baths de la Nusta." The locals guide the "Ancestral Routes" and will show you a living Inca city where one can appreciate the knowledge of the hydraulics and agronomy of both old and present inhabitants. There are also restaurants, hotels, horseback riding back and mountain biking opportunities.

Words cannot convey the incredible sensation of standing amidst the enigma of this city and its fabulous architecture. On the summit of a great bluff, the palaces, plazas, interminable stairways, fountains, towers and homes are surrounded by vertically plunging cliffs, precipices and ravines. It is thought to have been the residence of priests and noble cusqueños, and to have been constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries. Archaeological finds show that the Spaniards did reach here, but perhaps thanks to the awe and respect it inspires, they chose to leave the ruins intact for Bingham to re-discover. Take the train, bus or helicopter from Cusco to Aguas Calientes and a tour bus from there. Admission to the ruins costs about PEN35.

This is the most renowned street in the city, because of the famous twelve angles stone, a symbol of beauty and soundness in Incan architecture. The peculiar stone is one of the very great stones from the walls of the palace of Inca Roca, cyclopean construction. Now, it is part of the Archiepiscopal Palace, built upon the old palace. The street is rich with personality and local craftwork. It is the best route towards the colorful district of San Blas.