Peru Testing Limits on Tourist Access to Machu Picchu

Tourism officials in Peru announced last week it has imposed a two-week restriction on three portions of Machu Picchu with the hopes of preventing further degradation to the popular historical site.

According to the Buenos Aries Times, the Peruvian government will limit access to the Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Condor and the Intihuatana Stone between May 15-28.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site welcomes almost 6,000 visitors a day in two groups, but the new restrictions will give travelers only three hours to visit the three sites the government is looking to protect.

After the two-week test period analyzing the evidence of deterioration, government officials tasked with protecting Machu Picchu will evaluate the impact of the measures and determine if the new restrictions should be permanent.

Machu Picchu was built during the reign of the Inca emperor Pachacuti in the 1400s and is located around 60 miles away from the city of Cusco. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1983.

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