Road to Machu Picchu

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The minute you get to Cuzco people start telling you that the only way to Machu Picchu is by train - or a Peruvian minivan (collectivo); that the road is either impassable or just way too dangerous. None of that is true - the road to Machu Picchu is a stunning track running up the Andes and through the most beautiful valleys of the Urubamba province.

The road is mostly paved until Ollantaytambo, a super touristy little town, but once you pass that it turns into a gravel mountain road. There's no one around for miles except for a few llama and sheep herders; you can find food and fuel in the little villages of Santa Maria or Santa Teresa right before Hidroelectrica. Once you get to Hidroelectrica though, the road ends. You can leave you bike with the local security guards (see photos for details) - they will happily put your bike in their makeshift garage and keep an eye on it for about 15 soles per night.

You can either take the train to Aguas Calientes and then get a bus up to Machu Picchu, or hike along the train tracks. I wouldn't recommend going to Aguas Calientes at all as it's packed with tourists, cheap Chinese souvenirs, and plastic Incas; instead, hike for about 2km along the train tracks and stay at Jardines de Mandor campsite and hostel with no one around, beautiful botanical gardens and waterfalls, and yummy homemade food.

There's no need to get to Machu Picchu at 4 or 5 am either - there are hordes of tourists up there at all times, so unless you're adamant you need to see the sun rise in Machu Picchu there's no reason to go there that early at all.

All in all, riding to Machu Picchu and back was absolutely awesome - except for the part where I got dengue fever in the jungle and had to spend a week in bed in Ollantaytambo🙂 Other than that, great ride, stunning views, and zero tourists!

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Vos įriedėjus į Kuską, visi iškart ima pasakoti, jog su motociklu nusikeberioti iki Maču Pikču neįmanoma - reikia būtinai važiuoti traukiniu arba mikroautobusiuku. Tai neturi nieko bendro su tiesa - motociklu galima nuvažiuoti beveik iki paties Maču Pikču įspūdingu keliu, kertančiu Andus ir Urubamba regiono slėnius.

Iki Ollantaytambo kelias asfaltuotas, o vėliau prasideda žvyras, neapšviesti tuneliai ir laukinės eismo sąlygos. Benzino ir maisto galima rasti Santa Maria ir Santa Teresa kaimeliuose, o privažiavus Hidroelectrica užtvanką ir gyvenvietę, motociklą teks palikti pas vietinius pasaugojimui (kas atsieina apie 15 perujietiškų solų) ir iki paties Machu Picchu kulniuoti pėsčiomis. Beje, visai nebūtina žygiuoti iki pat Aguas Calientes - galima pakeliui apsistoti Jardines de Mandor kempinge ir hostelyje, kur kainos vis dar nesikandžioja, o maistas - dieviškas, be to, dažniausiai niekuomet nėra turistų.

Bet kuriuo atveju, kelias į Maču Pikču vis dar labai mažai naudojamas, mažai asfaltuotas, ir neatrastas motokeliautojų, todėl 100% rekomenduoju!

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