Peru is a country full of new and mystical tourist attractions. Proof of this is Vilcabamba, also known as "the lost city of the Incas". It is said that the last Incas lived here before being defeated by the Spanish. Today, we tell you everything about this magical city and why you should visit it.
The Incas of Vilcabamba were the men who resisted the Spanish siege in Vilcabamba, an ancient city considered today as the last refuge of the Inca empire.
In a period of forty years, Manco Inca took refuge in Vilcabamba enjoying religious prestige, but not political.
The Incas of Vilcabamba were represented by Manco Inca, son of Huayna Cápac, his successors Sayri Túpac, Titu Cusi Yupanqui and the last Inca Túpac Amaru I.
In the district of Vilcabamba, in the province of La Convención, there is a city full of mysteries not yet revealed and that is known as "the lost city of the Incas". This is the city of Vilcabamba, a place where time has stopped at a height of 2,650 meters above sea level to make known to the world the last part of the history of the Incas.
The history of the discovery of Vilcabamba begins with the arrival of Hiram Bingham in Cusco in 1911. The American was looking for the "lost city of the Incas" and, in fact, he arrived in Vilcabamba during this journey.
It should be noted that, at this time, Vilcabamba was known as Espiritu Pampa. However, Hiram did not pay much attention to him and gave Machu Picchu more consideration. In this first meeting, Bingham proposed that Machu Picchu was the true lost city and left Vilcabamba aside.
Years later, in the 1970s, an American explorer named Gene Savoy arrived in Peru. On his excursion through the jungle, he discovered Vilcabamba again and confirmed that it was Espiritu Pampa, that is, that this was the city where the last Incas had taken refuge. It is from this discovery that new archaeological investigations begin to find out more about what actually happened in Vilcabamba.
The famous lost city is an area of around 12 hectares where archaeologists have found temples, canals, platforms, buildings and terraces. Vilcabamba was connected to other places through highways.
Some of these constructions are made with granite stone, although there is a great difference with the walls worked in Coricancha or Machu Picchu. Due to the technique used here, some researchers conclude that Vilcabamba was most likely built by a pre-Inca culture.
In Vilcabamba you can find several houses, which were built on platforms. This was done this way, possibly, with the aim of protecting everyone from the floods that occurred at the time.
The Spanish were one of the first to speak of a lost city where, apparently, the rebel Incas were hiding, those who refused to submit. When the Spanish arrived in Peru, there were many fights between the Spanish and the Incas, which led many of the latter to take refuge in Vilcabamba, where they established a small government. These thoughts were recorded in chronicles, but the site did not yet have a name.
It was in 1911 that, thanks to Hiram Bingham and his book "The Lost City of the Incas", there is a first historical record of Vilcabamba as such. In the book, Bingham talks about a place called Espiritu Pampa. This created a controversy, since, some time later, other authors discovered that Bingham could have been mistaken and confused Vilcabamba with Machu Picchu.
At present, the consensus has been reached that Vilcabamba is, in fact, the Pampa Spirit and, therefore, it is considered the last refuge of the Incas.
In Vilcabamba we can find many tourist attractions. One of them is the archaeological complex of Vitcos, also known as Rosaspata. It is said that the last legitimate heirs of Huayna Capac lived here: Manco Inca Yupanqui, Sayri Tupac Inca, Titu Cusi Yupanqui and Túpac Amaru I.
The Vitcos archaeological complex is located at approximately 2,700 meters above sea level, so from here you have an impressive view of the Vilcabamba valley. It has 3 divisions and is very important in the history of the Incas because different negotiations with the Spanish were carried out here.
Another tourist attraction is the tomb of the Pampa Spirit. It is a tomb outside the Incas and has 11 cists, but 2 of them were desecrated before their discovery.
Because the offerings are in the style of the Wari culture, it is believed that it was this culture that made the burial. Due to the number of offerings (among which are silver plates), it is believed that he was a very important person of the time, so his finding was compared to that of the Lord of Sipán.
To get to the lost city of the Incas, you must first get to Cusco. A good alternative is to go by bus, in this way you will be able to observe the landscapes of Peru. If you start the trip from the capital, the journey takes around 19 hours. The bus reaches the capital of the department of Cusco and, from here, you take a taxi or bus to the district of Vilcabamba, which is located in the province of La Convención.
Vilcabamba is located approximately 118 kilometers from the capital. To get to the lost city, the traveler must go by bus to Kiteni, a town that is on the route to Quillabamba, and from Kiteni to "Azul mayo".
Here the bus stops and tourists must undertake a walk of up to 9 hours. Although the stretch is long, the person will go hand in hand with incredible natural views, making the experience unique in every way.
Vilcabamba is a destination full of adventure and mystery that you cannot miss. Now yes, you are ready to visit this city and live a great experience.
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