Machu Picchu under threat: 03-07-2008
Unesco has said that Incan city Machu Picchu in eastern Peru may be under threat from over development.
The World Heritage Committee is even considering placing the site on its endangered list.
This year, 800,000 people visited the ruins leading to over-development in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes, which is putting pressure on the erosion-prone riverbanks in the area and could lead to flooding and landslides.
Peruvian archaeologist Luis Lumbreras has studied the site for more than 40 years and said that it wasn't built to withstand the pressures being placed on it.
"Machu Picchu was never made for lots of people," he said.
"If we put tourists with boots that are jumping, running, climbing the walls, etcetera, that's the danger."
Many choose to reach the spectacular city in the clouds, a World Heritage Site since 1983, by taking a four day trek on the "Inca Trail", arriving at the Sun Gate at dawn as the sun rises over the mountains.
Adventure travellers should always remember to respect environments like Machu Picchu to ensure they can be enjoyed just as much by travellers in the future.