Machu Picchu

 2. Machu Picchu, Peru

Located at an altitude of 2,450m in the jungle, stands magical Machu Picchu. Built by the Incas in the 15th century, it was swallowed by the jungle, with few local people knowing the secret of its existence. But in 1911, an American chap named Hiram Bingham - an explorer - had local indigenous Quechuan people lead him to its whereabouts. He was widely credited with popularising this place with the western world, but clearly many have re-popularised it in the time ever since.

So, why does Machu Picchu take second spot? Well, being perched 2,450m atop a mountain in the jungle for starters. Jungles can be notoriously unforgiving - a living labyrinth, hot and humid, and let's not forget the boorish bears and peckish pumas who would probably quite fancy any little snack-ette they came across. Sure, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt are incredibly impressive, but at only 18m above sea level, logistics would have been nowhere near as challenging. How on earth did the Incas get the materials up there? Some experts believe they may have even taken the construction materials down from an even higher altitude.

So, what else? It is also of astrological and spiritual significance, with the Incas carefully curating this masterpiece, and purposely positioning artifacts in alignment with the sun. Light spills into The Temple of The Sun, Sun Gate and Intihuatana Stone, during different times of the year - including the summer and winter solstices, as well the equinox.

And personally, another thing that makes this a special place for me, is the stunning scenery. That mountain peak is instantly recognisable. Have you ever noticed if you turn it on its side 90 degrees anticlockwise, it looks like the profile of an Incan? I wonder if this also led them into selecting this spot. The best views are from the top of Huayna Picchu, an even higher peak, which looks down across the entire archaeological site. It is a pretty challenging climb of over 1 hour, with pretty steep steps, and no safety rails in place. So not for the faint of heart! But the views are wonderous and worth all the sweat.