Machu Picchu, an Inca tourist gem and Peru’s main attraction, has been open to visitors again since Wednesday after 25 days of closure due to protests that have rocked the country since last December.
The first tourists entered the archaeological site on Wednesday morning, under an unusual sun for the season, noted an AFP journalist.
They were able to visit the various sacred sites and temples that make up the “llaqta” (citadel in Quechua) in peace due to very low attendance.
Some 700 tourists, including British and French, had visited the archaeological site by midday on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Culture, whose officials attended the reopening of the site.
“The capacity is 4,044 visitors per day from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” said Maritza Rosa Candia, director of the ministry in Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Inca Empire located 110 km from Machu Picchu.
The famous site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, was closed on January 21 due to protests calling for the resignation of President Dina Boluarte.
The railway line, the only way to reach the site, from the town of Ollantaytambo, 30 km away, was cut for 18 days, the track having been damaged by demonstrators.
As a result, the Machu Picchu sector suffered from commodity shortages.
Last week, rail traffic partially resumed but access to trains was restricted to locals.
Mme Candia explained that when the archaeological site was closed, the authorities took the opportunity to work “on the maintenance and conservation” of the tracks.
Tourism, a key sector of the Peruvian economy and an important source of employment, before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 attracted some 4.5 million visitors per year.