Machu Picchu’s importance to region revealed
Machu Picchu is scheduled to formally reopen today, April 1st (no April fooling). This is good news for Peru and the nearby South American countries of Brazil, Chile and Argentina. It seems Machu Picchu, the Inca citadel, is a big draw for travelers to the continent and its closing in January due to landslides and flooding caused by heavy rains, hurt overall tourism to the area. Part of the rail line–the only access to Machu Picchu (aside from hiking)–reopened earlier this week after the storms damaged tracks and cut off the world-famous archaeological site in Peru which thankfully wasn’t damaged.
Peru is ready to welcome back visitors with open arms and there will surely be pent up demand for vacations that include this famed site. And while Machu Picchu is like the infamous Hope diamond of travel sites, one must remember that even this large, blue colored beauty believed to be cursed is surrounded by white diamonds. My point…there are plenty of glittering regional gems – experiences that are worth a peek as well. Here are a just a few of the biggies – feel free to tell me your favorites.
- The sight of thundering Iguazu Falls
- A cruise to the floating islands of the Uros people of Lake Titicaca
- A foot and paddle canoe adventure in the Peruvian Amazon Basin
- Crossing the Andes Mountains in Southern Chile�
Wine tasting in Mendoza
- Wine tastings in Mendoza, Argentina’s bodegas
posted by Melissa McKee
Collette Vacations
Tags: Peru, South America, Travel News, Winery
