| Machupicchu Pueblo Q'uñiyaku Aguas Calientes |
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| — Town — | |
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  Machupicchu Pueblo
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| Coordinates: 13°9′17.4″S 72°31′31.2″W / 13.154833°S 72.525333°W | |
| Country |  Peru |
| Region | Cusco |
| Province | Urubamba |
| District | MachuPicchu |
| Settled | 1901 |
| District Capital | October 1, 1941 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Edgar D. Miranda Quiñones |
| Elevation | 2,040 m (6,693 ft) |
| Time zone | PET (UTC-5) |
| Website | (Spanish) http://www.munimachupicchu.gob.pe/ |
Aguas Calientes is the colloquial name for Machupicchu Pueblo, a town in Peru on the Urubamba (Vilcanota) River. It is best known as the closest access point to the sacred Incan city of Machu Picchu (in Quechua: old mountain), which is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) away, about 1.5 hours walk. It has many hotels and restaurants for tourists, as well as natural hot baths, which give the town its name ("hot waters" in Spanish). The baths were destroyed by floods several years ago, but have been rebuilt.
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History
Originally settled by a few farm families in 1901, the tiny settlement was transformed into a busy railway worker's camp, called Camp Maquinachayoq, during the construction of the railroad through there in the late 1920s. The town was the central hub for worker lodging and their equipment up until the railway was finished in 1931.[1]
Transport
Aguas Calientes serves as a terminal for the PeruRail passenger train service from Cusco. Trains serve locals and tourists arriving from Cusco and Ollantaytambo to visit Machu Picchu. A sheltered souvenir market is adjacent to the train station. Avenue Pachacutec is the town's main and only thoroughfare, connecting the baths to the town's main square.
Industry
The Central Machupicchu Hydroelectric Plant is nearby on the Vilcanota. It generates about 90 MW for the regions of Cusco, Puno and Apurimac. It was first constructed between 1958 and 1965 and expanded between 1981 and 1985. The plant was damaged by a landslide on February 28, 1998 and ceased operations until July 13, 2001.[2]
Twin towns
See also
References
- ^ "Aguas Calientes History". http://www.ourworldwonders.com/MachuPicchu/AguasCalientes.htm.
- ^ (Spanish) Central Hidroeléctrica Machupicchu Empresa de Generación Eléctrica Machupicchu S.A.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aguas Calientes |
Coordinates: 13°9′17.4″S 72°31′31.2″W / 13.154833°S 72.525333°W
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