Temple of the Moon at Machu Picchu — Attraction in Machu Picchu

I had never even heard of the temple of the moon until my third visit to MP. At the Huayna Picchu summit, we noticed a sign that pointed to it and stated it was an alternate route back. (I feel like there's a map of this as well near the main entrance of the hike, but I guess we didn't pay much attention to it...) We decided to do it to get away from the crowds and do a loop back.

Well, it's absolutely gorgeous and totally well worth the extra hike, as you indeed can find the serene, non-touristy feel of the place that most travelers are looking for.

However, make sure you've got plenty of water and perhaps a snack, and that youre giving yourself enough time, if you decide to take the long way back. I went with my fiance at the time, aged 27 and 29, both in very good physical shape, and... let's just say, it wasn't the easiest hike ever. And we hike A LOT. Going down into the grand Canyon or up the Old Rag were probably easier. (Though our perception of the hike's difficulty was affected by the fact that we were psychologically ill-prepared.)

We were a bit stressed out because we had no idea how long it was, had not brought any food, had only 32 oz of water left between us by the time we started the descent, had a pretty late start... and by the time we made it to the temple we had literally come across only one other lone hiker and the sun's rays were getting pretty slanty. I think something about the modest sign for the temple at the summit convinced us that it would be a short detour... but it isn't.

The hike takes you down from the summit and around the back of the mountain, while most visitors turnaround at the summit and return the same way they went up. It loops around pretty far downhill, where you find the temple. The temple itself is not too impressive but still mighty interesting if you enjoy ruins. Much of the trail is authentic Incan stonework as well. The scenery going down and around is breathtaking. A river wraps around the mountain, so you get a really nice, deep view pretty much the entire time. The temple is at a lower altitude than the trail which connects Huayna Picchu to Machu Picchu, so you do have to hike back up on your way out - and this is where we got worried! But, one again, simply incredible views, including angles of Machu Picchu most people have never seen.

So, in conclusion: If you're able, this is a MUST if you're going up Huayna Picchu (which is a must if you're going to MP). But don't be like us, and be prepared. Figure out how long it is and what privisions you'll want. Also, note that you quite possibly will not find help out there or anyway along the path, so make sure you know what you're doing.

But definitely do it. It was by and large the single most inspiring and beautiful...

O intrigante Templo de La Luna, que também é conhecido como a grande caverna é uma das construções mais incríveis de Machu Picchu e consiste em um complexo de grutas, localizado dentro de uma caverna natural, situado na parte posterior de Huayna Picchu a 2.720 metros acima do nível do mar. Algumas destas grutas tem estruturas forradas com pedras cuidadosamente esculpidas e encaixadas conforme os contornos da montanha, também possui entradas e portas falsas e os famosos nichos trapezoidais característicos da arquitetura incaica e embora ninguém saiba com certeza para que o templo era utilizado, fica evidente que se trata de um lugar muito especial, provavelmente dedicado a cultos ou a cerimônias funerárias e algumas teorias sustentam que as tumbas e múmias que supostamente ali se encontravam teriam sido saqueadas por “huaqueros”, ou saqueadores de tesouros arqueológicos. Os Incas tinham grande admiração por cavernas, porque acreditavam que elas poderiam conectá-los com o mundo dos mortos, destaca-se no centro do Templo da Lua uma superfície como um trono e alguns pesquisadores acreditam que o local poderia ser utilizado para cerimoniais e sacrifícios. O caminho até o Templo de La Luna é difícil e a caminhada leva cerca de uma hora e meia, pois o visitante tem que passar pela trilha conhecida como as escadas da morte e seguir por caminhos que passam ao lado de enormes penhascos. A única maneira de conhecer o Templo da Lua é comprando o ingresso que permite a entrada a Machu Picchu mais Huayna Picchu e como só é permitido o acesso de 400 visitantes por dia a Huayna Picchu, é recomendável para quem desejar conhecer o local, fazer a reserva com bastante antecedência. Como dica fica a informação de que a trilha não é recomendável para quem tem problemas de locomoção, idosos e crianças pequenas, também é necessário o uso de calçados adequados e confortáveis para a caminhada, que pode ser bastante escorregadia e perigosa em...

We expected the temple of the Moon to be more magnificent to make the difficult hike (at least for me it is, maybe I m weak) worth it. you do have to climb down first to see the temple and hike up again to circle back to the route. bBe prepared and with lots of water, we only have a small bottle and in the end sadly i have to survive on my saliva... If you are already exhausted from the Huayna Picchu, you probably don't want to try it, go back to machupichu and relax and...