click here for virtual tour

Machu Picchu: Central Plaza

The Central Plaza of Machu Picchu is surrounded by roofless stone structures and steep terraces, with a lovely view of Huayna Picchu. The plaza is the green island amid the Inca stone buildings that make up Machu Picchu, and travelers will often see llamas roaming through the grass and grazing. The Central Plaza’s grassy field separates the Sacred Plaza and Intiwatana from the residential areas on the far side of the complex.

The Temple of the Three Windows on the Sacred Plaza offers a beautiful view of the green expanse, and a flight of stairs at the back of the Sacred Plaza descends to the Central Plaza. At the lower end of the Central Plaza is Prison Group, a labyrinthine set of cells, passageways, and niches extending both underground and above it. The central attraction of the group is the Temple of the Condor, which has a carving of the head of a condor above a rock pile; behind the bird is a door to a tiny underground cell.