Machu Picchu — Flora & Fauna

The area around Machu Picchu is a mountainous rainforest. So there are lots of flowers and other plants to add to the beauty of the place.

The bromeliads are among the most spectacular flora, especially when they cling to cliff faces and dropoffs...

Here is other growth clinging to a sheer cliff, and a tree along the trail to the Inka Bridge.

Although there are lots of trees on the mountains around about, there is only one on the Machu Picchu grounds.

Tree at Machu Picchu

But there are lots of flowers, some even familiar, like the begonias below on the left.

There is a garden area in the complex that produced this impressive squash, which Kathy spotted:

Kathy and her squash

The vast grounds of Machu Picchu require a lot of upkeep. With rather primitive tools, as we saw, to preserve the silence (although we did hear what sounded like a weed-eater when we first arrived around 6!) Our guide told us that it is a constant battle to keep the place from getting overgrown, like it was when it was discovered by norteamericanos in 1911.

I guess the llamas aren't reliable enough, or numerous enough, to keep the grass trimmed.

Henry saw this lizard on a rock near the end of our tour and it let him get pretty close before scurrying away.

Back to main page

Back to Machu Picchu index page Link to Machu Picchu Index