Activity holidays in Machu Picchu are 'magnificent'

Travellers planning an activity holidays in Peru will find Machu Picchu is magnificent, according to a travel writer.

Nicola Iseard, travel correspondent for the Guardian, recently visited the Incan ruin and was taken aback by the breathtaking landmark.

She said: "It is magnificent. I have seen many images of the citadel, but to have it right in front of me - the mist-cloaked Wayna Picchu mountain towering behind like an apparition - blows me away.

"Not even the usual tourist crowds (there are none) would distract from its beauty, its drama."

Ms Iseard also advised travellers to visit the Temple of the Sun, a semi-circular tower which features some of the region's finest stonework, and the enormous granite sundial known as the Intihuatana.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Machu Picchu by the American explorer Hiram Bingham.