Machu Picchu is 'one of the best' hiking holidays in the world

This year is the perfect time to visit Peru's magnificent Machu Picchu site, as 2011 marks the centenary of its discovery.

Machu Picchu, which translated from the Quechua means 'old mountain' is a 15th-century pre-Columbian Inca site which was discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911.

According to Alex Stewart, who was writing in the free daily Metro newspaper, the ancient Inca ruins - built above the Urubamba Valley - is still "breathtaking".

People planning hiking holidays are in for a treat, as "the best way to approach the ruins is still in Bingham['s] style - on foot", according to the travel writer.

"Those discovering the site today will be no less impressed" than the original explorers, according to Mr Stewart.

"Challenging yet achievable, the four-day trek to Machu Picchu, the classic Inca Trail, is one of the greatest walks in the world" is how the writer describes the adventure trip.