Mandor Gardens

Mandor is a private reserve down the Urubamba valley from Aguas Calientes, reached by walking the railway line - which is how everyone gets there, since there is no road and trains pass at low speed. The walk takes about an hour each way along the track beside the river, and at the end is a small property with orchid and fern gardens, fruit trees, a campsite and a waterfall of around thirty metres reached by a short forest path. Its real value is birds: it sits at an altitude and in a habitat that suits cock-of-the-rock, tanagers, hummingbirds and quetzals, and it is the most accessible serious birding spot near Machu Picchu, with early morning the productive time. It is also simply the only quiet green thing within reach of Aguas Calientes, which is otherwise a dense tourist town. Walking on a live railway is the obvious hazard, and trains do use the line.

What you actually see

• The railway walk - an hour each way along the live line beside the Urubamba.
• The waterfall - around thirty metres at the end of a short forest path.
• The birding - cock-of-the-rock, tanagers and hummingbirds, best at dawn.
• The gardens - orchids, ferns and fruit trees on a private reserve.

When to go

April to October, the dry season. Early morning for the birds and for the walk before the heat. Three to four hours including the walk both ways.

Honest expectations

The approach is on foot along a live railway - trains pass and the walking is on the sleepers. No road access. Small entry charge in cash. Facilities are basic. The waterfall is modest; the birds are the reason to come.

Nearby

Aguas Calientes and Machu Picchu are up the valley.