#sun gate

The modern wonder of Machu Picchu is not only a well-preserved 15th century city, but Machu Picchu is also a magical and wonderful work of Inca architecture; This Inca city is surrounded by temples, platforms and water channels, it is built on the top of a mountain and its construction was built with large blocks of stone joined together, without the use of any type of amalgam.

It is located 130 km from the Imperial City of Cusco and since the explorer Hiram Bingham made it known to the world in 1911, it has received many titles and recognitions.

Machu Picchu is one of the most outstanding architectural jewels of beautiful Peru, which is why it receives millions of visitors annually, its peculiar architectural and landscape characteristics, and the veil of mystery that has woven around it a good part of the literature published on the site, have made it one of the most popular tourist destinations on the planet.

There is nothing much more spectacular than standing in Machu Picchu and feeling its energy.

The Sun Gate (Inti Punku)

During the Inca heyday, the people who entered Machu Picchu after traveling the Inca Trail trek, had their first vision of the Inca city, from the Inti Punku, a name derived from the Quechua words:

Inti which means Sun

Punku which means Door

Whose name in Spanish is Puerta del Sol, like the people who trek the Inca Trail today.

The Puerta del Sol or Inti Punku was a control gate for the people who entered and left the Inca Citadel of Machu Picchu; Due to the strategic location of this gate, it is believed that only invited guests from the empire's elite entered Machu Picchu.

To this possible hypothesis is added the belief that the people who returned after seeing the magical citadel of Machu Picchu, were treated with greater respect, by the people who were on their way to the sacred city.

The construction of this door is dedicated to the Apu Inti or Sun god, since during the summer solstice, the sun appears in the Inca City through this place.

Location:

Inti Punku or Puerta del Sol is located on one side of the Machu Picchu Mountain, this is an extra tour during your tour to Machu Picchu but if you decide to get to this place the tour will last approximately 02 hours round trip.

Altitude:

Inti Punku is located at 2,745 meters above sea level.

How to get to Inti Punku?

To get to Puerta del Sol during your tour to Machu Picchu, you must follow the path that goes from Machu Picchu, through the agricultural terraces, this path is marked with wooden signs, it goes almost parallel to the path that leads to the top of Machu Picchu Mountain, but it's not that steep.

The Puerta del Sol is the place where people who make the Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu enter.

The Short Inca Trail still continues after reaching Puerta del Sol, for approximately 02 hours until it reaches the Inca city called Wiñaywayna; However, you should bear in mind that you can only access this point with the Inca Trail trekking permits and through it.

Entry Hours: You can enter at any time, during the regular entry hours to Machu Picchu, from 06:00 to 16:00; but the most advisable thing is to enter before 10.00 am to enjoy the weather and the little influx of people.

Ticket Type: At the moment this walk does not have any additional cost, you can enter with the Machu Picchu Ticket that you have purchased.

What is the best season to go?

The climate throughout the region has two seasons:

Having made a bad decision about what to eat the night before (undercooked anticuchos), I woke up sick on day nine. So… the pictures I include in this post I took in 2006. Those who had not made a poor decision about what to eat the night before boarded a bus at 6.00 a.m. to make the 30-minute trip to The Sanctuary of Machu Picchu, what is often called “The Lost City of the Incas.” The early…

We had the same guides for our time in Cuzco up until Machu Picchu. As he left us on Wednesday night, he told us stories of people crying when they saw the beauty of this wonder of the world. Everyone pushed it aside and laughed but then today I saw it, for myself, and I completely understood how someone could shed a tear at this marvel. There are absolutely no pictures to portray just how magnificent this place was. I think the best and silliest way to describe it is as when you were watching the movie Avator and you saw all the little islands in the sky and how people had to fly their dragon things from island to island. Machu Picchu had to be on one of these islands. How did these mere human beings without the technology that we have today create something so grand, so inspiring, so mystical?

The other thing it makes you think about is the possibility of other places just like this one still undiscovered in the world. Covered by trees or dust, hidden away as Mother Earth keeps it secret so only she may enjoy it. I don’t doubt that these places exist and as much as I would love to see them, I hope they stay hidden too so that they may stay as they were meant to for the people that created them.

Some of us climbed up even further to the “sun gate” along the Inca Trail. The hike was a brutal 40 minutes of mainly stairs but it was breathtaking. Every moment where you would pause and look to your left, you got a new and more incredible view of the city below. Running my hands along the walls of the city and then seeing it in it’s entirety from above makes the sense of wonder even stronger. I spent some time taking pictures at the top and started talking to some other travelers around me. My favorite part of being on my own in another country is getting to meet new friends. I met some guys from Denver and San Francisco who were there for a bachelor party - best bachelor party ever? We talked about our travels and I gave them some advice on what to do in Lima.