Machu Picchu was established as a sanctuary on January 8, 1981, through (D.S.) N 001-81-AA. Furthermore, in 1983 UNESCO made it part of The Cultural and Natural inheritance of Humanity. This Sanctuary is placed in the department of Cusco, province of Urubamba, district of Machupicchu. It has a surface of 32,592 has. Besides the beautiful citadel of Machupicchu in the area there are other 34 archaeological sites conected by the famous Inca trail.

The flora is exhuberant, the low lands grow the aliso (Alnus jorullensis), the pisonay (Erythrina falcota), the walnut tree (Junglans neotropica), the intimpa (Podocarpus glomeratus); the quishuar (Buddleia incana), the queual (Polylepsis racemosa), the cedar (Cedrela sp.) and palm trees and orchids (30 types and 190 species) that flower all year round. One of the most beautiful orchids to be seen in the sactuary is the Maxillaria floribunda.

With regard to the fauna, we can admire the condor (vultur gryphus), diverse gummingbirds, the deer called Taruka (Mazzama chunyi), the puma (Puma concolor), the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) and some species of monkeys like Cebus, Saimiri, Aotus and Lagothrix (the last one menaced with extinction).

The cock of the rock (Rupicola peruviana), the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) the outter (Lutra longicaudis) and the wild cat (Oncifelis colocolo) are also endemic animals in the area. The main goals of this Historical Sanctuary of Machupicchu are the protection of the archaeological sites in the area and the preservation of the wild flora and fauna peculiar to the area.