Anthropologist Fernando Astete and his staff often receive well-deserved accolades for their work running the day-to-day operations of Machu Picchu, as well as overseeing the protection and preservation of the Inca citadel.
The pace is less frenetic and much less touristy than Cusco. You can pick and choose any number of destinations, from amazingly beautiful nature reserves to the most active — and arguably the most significant — treasure trove of active archaeological discovery occurring right now in Peru.
There's Tumbes National Mangrove Sanctuary, the Cerros de Amotape National Park and the Tumbes Reserved Zone, with protected wildlife; to quote our friends at PromPeru, near Piura are the Colan beach resort, the town of Catacaos known for its arts and crafts and gold and silver jewelry, and the town of Chulucanas, famous for its pottery.[Originally published September 10, 2010] Peru’s Congress voted unanimously Thursday in support of building a new access road to Machu Picchu.
In a 75-0 vote, lawmakers declared that paving the narrow dirt roads connecting the towns of Ollantaytambo, Santa MarÃa and Santa Teresa, located northwest of Machu Picchu, is “a public necessity and a priority of national interest.â€
