Inca Trail History (What You Need To Know)
One of the most formidable hiking routes on the planet, there is also lots of hidden Inca Trail history and legacies along this sacred path.
Whilst the hikeable portion of the Inca Trail measures a total length of 42km, the full network of paths actually stretch from Argentina to Colombia – meaning much of it is still undiscovered to this day. This means that whilst we have many interesting facts to tell, there are still many mysteries hidden within the remote Andes Mountains of South America.
In this guide we’ll explore everything you need to know about the Inca Trail history, including why it was built and how it was eventually rediscovered. We’ll also answer any other questions you may have in our FAQ section.
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The Rediscovery Of The Inca Trail History
After doing significant clearing work at the site of Machu Picchu between the years 1913 and 1915, the American Yale University academic who brought Machu Picchu international recognition (Hiram Bingham) realized there was a trail arriving at Machu Picchu from somewhere else. His team members, together with locals laborers hired for work, did a few more clearing works on it, and that was when they found the Inca trail which decades later became also an internationally known hiking trail. Nowadays, it is already one of the bests offered as the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.
From the beginning, the Spanish explorers were astounded by what they found in the new world. While heading to Cusco, the capital of all Inca territory, mounted on horseback, they could witness the great Inca trails right under their feet. Never-ending trail, carefully built and well planned that still today is being used. There are accounts of Chroniclers of the sixteen century describing how great this road system was, particularly in the Andes mountains, traversing high mountain passes and sheer cliff faces. Pedro Pizarro, a team member of the Spanish explorers noted on his chronicles while on his excursions through the Inca lands of Ancient Peru. “The path in of the mountains is something to see because it is built in very difficult terrain. In the Christian world, we have not seen such beautiful roads. All of the crossings have bridges of stone or wood”
The Hidden Inca Trail History And Full Length Of The Sacred Route
Modern-day scholars like Richard Burger liken it to the long-gone Roman road systems, and like the Romans, the Incas needed to move their skillful army quickly over long distances. It is proven that there is literally a backbone trail spawning north-south from Quito to Northern Argentina, and there are sub roads that link west to east. But according to history, the road system was developed by pre-Incan cultures that the Inca took, united, and improved greatly. That is why in 2014 the Inca trail was granted world heritage status by UNESCO under the following quotation “An engineering wonder that must be restored and preserved”.
From approximately 25 thousand mile length Inca trail linking South American Countries such as Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru; there is one particular stretch of Inca trail in the region of Cusco Peru, which is known as the Inca trail route to Machu Picchu, a 26-mile trail that has been rediscovered at the turn of the 20th centuries as part of Machu Picchu Inca Inca City clearing works.
Inca Trail History FAQ
Below we’ll now answer some of the frequent questions we get about the Inca Trail history, as well as anything else important that you need to know.
What Is An Amazing Fact About The Inca Trail?
The full Inca Trail system actually spans over 45,000km throughout South America, which includes Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. This means that there are dozens of biomes that this stone path dissects through, including cloud forests, steaming Amazon Jungle, remote glacial lagoons and towering snow-capped Andean mountains. On the 4 Day Inca Trail trek we can see many of these as we make our way to Machu Picchu, whilst learning more about the Inca Trail history.
Who Built The Inca Trail?
The Inca civilisation built the classic 42km trail to Machu Picchu within the 15th Century, using a series of stone steps that connected indigenous sites to each other within the remote Andes. They also improved and connected-up other stone paths that were made by previous pre-Incan cultures – which is why the full route extends as far north as Colombia and south as Argentina.
Why Is The Inca Trail So Special?
Considered to be one of the most significant ancient constructions in the Western Hemisphere, the Inca Trail is special for many reasons. Firstly it provided a safe passage for past civilisations to safely get around the remote Andes mountains. It also allowed the Inca culture to develop at a much quicker rate, whether that was building incredible citadels like Machu Picchu or being able to quicker transport armies when needed to oppose impending attacks or raids.
Overview Of The Inca Trail History
Full of thrilling mountain scenery, rugged ancient ruins and beautiful wildlife, the Inca Trail isn’t quite your typical, usual hiking path.
As well as being a great all-rounder hike to embark on, it also combines hundreds of years of secrets left behind by the Inca civilisation – who built this path and once used it to access Machu Picchu without detection. This means that the Inca Trail history remains in almost perfect condition for all of us to enjoy today.
Did you know the hikeable 42km Inca Trail route has over 8 sacred ruins that we can explore on the trek? Learn more about the different Inca Trail ruins now, and what each one was once used for by the ancient Inca civilisation.