Aguas Calientes

Aguas Calientes, officially Machu Picchu Pueblo, is the small town in the gorge of the Urubamba River directly below Machu Picchu and the last stop for every visitor to the ruins. There is no road to Aguas Calientes, so almost everyone arrives by PeruRail or Inca Rail train from Ollantaytambo or Cusco, and buses climb the zigzag Hiram Bingham road to the citadel in about 25 minutes. The town is packed with hostels, restaurants and a busy artisan market, and it takes its name from the thermal baths above the centre. Steep trails lead up Putucusi Mountain opposite the ruins, and the Manuel Chávez Ballón Site Museum and its botanical garden explain the history of the sanctuary. Staying overnight lets visitors reach Machu Picchu on the first bus, before the day trippers arrive.