The historic Inca city of Machu Picchu, a major tourist attraction in Peru, will reopen on Saturday for locals, and in November for the rest of Peruvians and foreigners, officials announced today.
Peru began a progressive reopening of its museums and archaeological sites on Thursday after seven months of closure due to the covid-19 pandemic, which has affected visitors’ access to cultural heritage worldwide.
The inhabitants of the Cuzco region will be able to visit it again from Saturday, while the other Peruvians and foreigners will be allowed to enter from November 1st.
On Thursday, 18 museums across the country reopened at 50% capacity, said Culture Minister Alejandro Neyra, speaking at the pre-Hispanic temple in Pachacamac, in southern Lima.
Entry to these cultural spaces – open only three days a week – will be free for one month, according to the official, to “stimulate the cultural and economic recovery of the region and the country”.
However, strict health protocols will be required for visitors: temperature measurement, mandatory mask, physical distance, groups limited to eight people, with pre-booking.
Machu Picchu, classified as a World Heritage Site, will have limited entry to 675 tourists per day, when in high season the numbers amount to 5,000 daily entries.
With 33 million inhabitants, Peru is the third country in Latin America with the highest number of deaths linked to covid-19, after Brazil, in first, and Mexico, in second.
