Macchu Pichu, Peru
Undiscovered by the outside world until early in the 20th century, this awesome archeological site is an ancient Inca city that sits above the Urubamba River, saddling between two peaks: Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu. The ruins exude a sense of mystique that is kept intact, despite the influx of thousands of daily visitors, most of whom choose to get there by hiking the Inca Trail. The stairs that lead up to the Sun Gate is a vantage point as the sunrise—which peeks over the mountain through the gate—is nothing short of spectacular. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
(In photo: Macchu Pichu)