A backdoor to Machu Picchu that only the most foolhardy infiltrator would attempt to breach.

These steeply terraced ruins are a stop along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu.

Death rituals and sacrifice inside a Peruvian megalith.

The Uros people live on floating reed islands in lake Titicaca.

Huge stone depressions which may have acted as an Incan agricultural experiment.

An unexpected desert oasis in South America.

The stones of this Incan wall complex fit together so well you couldn't fit a piece of paper between some of them.

Preserved Inca city and site of the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish conquistadors.

A market for witches is hidden within a train station.

A set of ancient drawings in the desert of Peru that are so massive, many of them can only be fully seen from the sky.

The mortal remains of an estimated 70,000 people lie in the basement of a monastery in Lima, Peru.

The intricate stonework of Machu Picchu serves as a testament to Incan engineers.

A cemetery full of exquisite statuary, including a monument to a woman some say died of a broken heart.

This communist country can still appreciate its fragrant past.

Neo-cave art on the macro scale.

This imposing memorial contains the remains of Che Guevara — and 29 other guerrillas who died with him in Bolivia.

Once a favorite playground for the world's most illustrious guests, Hotel Nacional's secret weapons and bunkers reveal a more menacing side to its golden history.

A focal point of the Cuban government, this city square features one of the most iconic images in the country.

A colorful narrow alley in Cuba is full of street art and sculptures made of found objects.

A Spanish-style estate that has traded black ties for rock concerts.

A Cuban artist reclaimed his impoverished neighborhood as a dreamy folk art kingdom.

A full-size replica of this well-preserved temple lets you take a walk through the Mayan age.

This staircase full of Mayan hieroglyphics is perhaps the largest single text in the world.

A small collection of iguana-infested ruins hides amid Cancún's bustling hotel zone.