Floods and damage in Cusco’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

Updated on February 19, 2020 by Rick Vecchio in Cusco, Destinations, Machu Picchu, News with 2 Comments

[Originally published January 29, 2010]

Dear friends:

As you probably are aware, extreme weather this week has hit Peru very hard in the Cusco region, where torrential rain has caused widespread flooding, devastating several communities in the Sacred Valley and leaving travelers stranded at Machu Picchu.

We at Fertur Peru Travel are committed to helping our friends and relatives who have been affected by this natural disaster. We are also working hard to accommodate our clients whose travel plans must now be altered because of the damage to roads, bridges and the rail line.

Ferrocarril Transandino S.A. inspected the 122 kilometers of track between Cusco and Machu Picchu on Jan. 27, and determined that severe damage to the rail line at eight points along the Vilcanota River will take approximately eight weeks to complete. Weather permitting, we expect that repairs should be completed before the high tourist season starts to ramp up in April.

Tags: Machu Picchu, Sacred Valley

Authored by: Rick Vecchio

Website: Peruvian Travel Trends Blog

Rick Vecchio, Fertur’s director of development and marketing, was educated at the New School for Social Research and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. He worked for Pacifica Radio WBAI and as a daily reporter for newspapers in New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Then in 1996, he decided it was time to realize a life-long dream of traveling to Peru. He never went back. While serving as Peru country manager for the South American Explorers from 1997-1999, he fell in love with Fertur's founder, Siduith Ferrer, and they married. Over the next six years, he worked as a correspondent for The Associated Press. Meanwhile, Siduith built the business, which he joined in January 2007. Now he designs custom educational and adventure tour packages for corporate and institutional clients, oversees Fertur’s Internet platform and occasionally leads special trips, always with an eye open for a good story to write about.

There are 2 comments for this article

Lynette Watson-Drew January 9, 2020 at 3:42 am

Is there a problem again this year.2020 as we are set to fly out of Australia on Tuesday?
Rick Vecchio Author January 9, 2020 at 11:07 am

Hi Lynette,

There were disruptions to the rail line on January 5 due to the rain and the threat of the Vilcanota overrunning its banks, but as of right now, service between Ollantaytambo and Aguas Calientes is running normally. It is a somewhat intense rainy season this year, but — luckily and hopefully it will continue to be — nothing close to what we saw in 2010.

You’re going to love Peru!

Best regards,

Rick

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Floods and damage in Cusco’s Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

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