Aguas Calientes is a small town located at the very heart of the Peruvian high jungle, surrounded by towering mountains, crossed by two rivers and guarded by the Historical Site of Machu Picchu. So, the region offers a complete immersion in its natural setting and here we’ll tell you all about it.
Although most travelers tend to overlook this beautiful town and not many travel agencies promote the real authenticity of it, we’d like to give you more options so you can plan your trip according to your interests.
Machu Picchu might be the main attraction there, but we highly recommend staying one night in Aguas Calientes, just after taking a Sacred Valley tour so you can experience the Inca citadel and its surroundings on the next day.
We encourage you to make the most of your stay! That way, you’ll get to know some really special places not only in Aguas Calientes but Peru in general. Let’s get to it!
1. Take a break in the Aguas Calientes Hot Springs
What a better way to end a day of excursions rather than taking a relaxing bath in Aguas Calientes’ thermal baths. They consist of a group of thermo-medicinal pools located 800 meters away from Machu Picchu Town’s main square.
The temperatures of these mineral-rich ponds range between 38°C and 46°C. They are recognized for its healing properties that help the release of stress and toxins, improves metabolism, and prevents arterial hypertension.
The water emerges from underground water channels conducted to these pools. It was a mild yellow color, which may give the impression of being dirty, though that’s because of the chemical composition of the water, being sulfur the reason behind this coloration.
Although the pools are not deep or large enough for a swim, they certainly help you unwind your mind and connect even deeper with nature itself.
If you’re wondering about the facilities on the site, the complex offers a basic infrastructure with dressing rooms, showers, restrooms and a coffee-bar. This place remains as a paid tourist attraction and is open Monday to Sunday, from 05:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m.
2. Experience nature at Jardines de Mandor
For those looking to immerse themselves in the exuberant nature of this authentic region, we highly recommend you pay a visit to this Ecological Reserve. It is located 3,5 km away from Aguas Calientes, right at the foothills of the Huayna Picchu Mountain.
These gardens have been owned by a family since the 1960s, but it wasn’t until the end of the 90s that they decided to open their doors to the public. They look for the preservation of the ecosystem and its surroundings.
Aguas Calientes is located in one of the most privileged locations of Peru, right at the limit of the jungle and the Andes, also known as ‘Mountain Brow’. The flourishing nature of the region is recognized as a real-life fairytale by many of its visitors, an authentic scenery that you can’t miss during your visit.
If you didn’t know, the Machu Picchu region was chosen as the Best Green Destiny of the World in 2012, thanks to its jaw-dropping landscapes suitable for an enormous diversity of wildlife. There are around 2,354 documented plant species, including 400 types of orchids. The Jardines de Mandor are located about 3 kilometers away from Aguas Calientes town.
3. Visit the Machu Picchu Museum
Also known as Museo de Sitio Manuel Chavez Ballon, it is located one kilometer away from Machu Picchu. It was built in the 1960s, with the purpose to exhibit all the cultural details of the Inca Citadel.
The museum has a collection of archeological pieces that were found in the archeological site. Some of these pieces were sent to Yale University to be studied and then later returned to Peru.
The Machu Picchu Museum holds seven exhibition rooms, allowing the visitor to go on a back-in-time journey through each gallery:
- Machu Picchu – The City Among Mist
- In the Time Machine
- Spreading History. A day in the life of Machu Picchu.
- Intertwining the Amazon and the Andes.
- Between Findings and Evidence.
- Ways to Feel Machupicchu.
- Ecology, flora and fauna of the Historic Sanctuary of Machupicchu.
Also, to complement the overall experience, the Museum offers a Botanical Garden where they look to preserve the local flora and fauna. The garden holds hundreds of plant species, including some of the many orchids of the region, an authentic natural scenery that you surely can’t miss.
The museum is located in the Aguas Calientes region, at a 30-minute walk from the town, near Puente Ruinas. You can easily get to this location by foot going in the direction to Hidroeléctrica.
4. Check out the Mariposario de Machu Picchu
Undoubtedly, the extensive biodiversity that surrounds Machu Picchu is like no other since it holds different types of plants, animals, and over 500 butterfly species. There is a place located only 15 minutes away from Aguas Calientes, called Wasi Pillpi, which means Butterfly Farm in Quechua.
If you wish to learn more about the natural diversity of this region, this unique place holds over 400 butterfly species, where the volunteers take you on a guided tour through the location, showing you the importance of these beautiful insects within the ecosystem.
This butterfly farm is run by Leonardo Serrano Gutierrez and a group of volunteers that look for the preservation and protection of the different butterfly species of the region. According to some studies, about 100 species are endemic to Machu Picchu and the rest are known in the rest of the world and Peru.
This place will give you a glimpse at the life cycle of these lepidopterans, starting from the eggs until they are old enough to be finally released to their habitats.
5. Hike the Putucusi Mountain
The towering Putucusi Mountain is located a few minutes away from Aguas Calientes. It sits at an altitude of 2,560 meters above sea level, offering an outstanding view of Machu Picchu and its surroundings.
Although Putucusi is the smallest mountain that surrounds the Inca citadel, it offers great views of the archeological site, a natural viewpoint in the Machu Picchu Town. Currently, the mountain remains closed until further notice.
The trail to its summit is very challenging, especially since you will have to climb a wooden ladder to reach the top. It is worth mentioning that there’s no entrance fee to climb this mountain. Also, we do not recommend taking this trail during the rainy season nor without a guide.
As you can see, Aguas Calientes might be small and practically intended for the visit to Machu Picchu but still holds some exciting activities where nature is the predominant feature in all of them.
We want you to make the most of your experience in Peru, so we have prepared the perfect travel itineraries so you can find inspiration for your next vacation. Make sure to check them out while you’re here!