Aguas Calientes, Peru
Machupicchu or Machupicchu Pueblo, also known as Aguas Calientes, is a location in Peru situated in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province. It is the seat of the Machupicchu District. Machupicchu lies at the Vilcanota River. It is the closest access point to the historical site of Machu Picchu which is away or about a 1.5 hours walk. There are many hotels and restaurants for tourists, as well as natural hot baths which gave the town its colloquial Spanish name. The baths were destroyed by floods several years ago, but have been rebuilt. The village of Machupicchu did  not exist until the railroad was built, as it was a center for construction workers. It took off after the railroad opened in 1931 and foreign tourists started arriving to visit the Machu Picchu ruins. Enterprising individuals set up businesses serving the tourists, primarily restaurants and small hotels. Those who could afford luxury stayed at the luxury hotel up by the ruins. Name. The official name comes from Quechua Machu Pikchu from "machu" old, old person, "pikchu" pyramid; mountain; or prominence with a broad base that ends in sharp peaks. The addition of "pueblo" comes from the Spanish word for  town. It was formerly called Aguas Calientes meaning "hot waters" or "hot springs". History. Settled by a few farm families in 1901, the settlement was transformed into a busy railway worker's camp called "Maquinachayoq" (possibly from Quechua "makina" (a borrowing from Spanish "máquina") machine / locomotive, train, "-cha", "-yuq" suffixes, "the one with a little machine, locomotive or train", "Makinachayuq") during the construction of the railroad through there in the late 1920s. The town was the central hub for worker lodging and their equipment until the railway was completed in 1931. Transport. Machupicchu serves as a terminal for the PeruRail  and Inca Rail passenger train service from Cusco. Trains serve locals and tourists arriving from Cusco and Ollantaytambo to visit Machu Picchu. A sheltered souvenir market is adjacent to the train station. Avenue Pachacutec is the main and only thoroughfare of the town, connecting the baths to the town's main square. There are no cars in the town, as there is no road access. The only motorized transport are the minibuses that take tourists up the mountain to the ruins; they were brought in by train. Industry. The Central Machupicchu Hydroelectric Plant ("Hidroelectrica") is nearby at the Urubamba River . It generates about 90 MW for the regions of Cusco, Puno, and Apurímac . It was first constructed between 1958 and 1965 and expanded between 1981 and 1985. The plant was damaged by a landslide on 28 February 1998 and ceased operations until 13 July 2001.