Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [235]
Tres Cruces
About two hours beyond Paucartambo is the extraordinary jungle view at Tres Cruces, a lookout off the Paucartambo–Shintuya road. The sight of the mountains dropping away into the Amazon Basin is gorgeous in itself, but is made all the more magical by the sunrise phenomenon that occurs from May to July (other months are cloudy), especially around the time of the winter solstice on June 21. The sunrise here gets optically distorted, causing double images, halos and an incredible multicolored light show. At this time of year, many travel agencies and outdoor adventure outfitters run sunrise-watching trips from Cuzco.
During Paucartambo’s Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen, minibuses run back and forth between Paucartambo and Tres Cruces all night long. You can also take a truck en route to Pillcopata and ask to be let off at the turnoff to Tres Cruces (a further 13km walk). Alternatively, ask around in Paucartambo to hire a truck. Make sure you leave in the middle of the night to catch the dawn, and take plenty of warm clothing. Camping is possible but take all your own supplies.
Tres Cruces is within Parque Nacional Manu and admission costs S10.
For details of the onward trip to Shintuya and the Manu area, Click here.
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CUZCO TO PUERTO MALDONADO
This road is vile. It’s almost 500km long and takes at least a day to travel in the dry season – much longer in the wet. – and most travelers choose to fly from Cuzco to Puerto Maldonado. At the time of research, the road was being paved, so things may have improved by the time you read this, but don’t take this journey lightly: it requires hardiness.
Various companies depart from Cuzco’s terminal terrestre for Puerto Maldonado between 3pm and 4.30pm daily. CIVA (S60, 17 hours, departs 4pm) is probably the best option. If you want to split up the journey, the best places to stop are Ocongate and Quince Mil, which have basic accommodations. Transportes Siwar (084-23-6691; Av Tito Condemayta 1613, Cuzco) has buses to Ocongate and Tinqui (S8, three hours), leaving from behind the Coliseo Cerrado several times a day.
The route heads toward Puno until soon after Urcos, where the dirt road to Puerto Maldonado begins. About 125km and 2½ hours from Cuzco, you come to the highland town of Ocongate, which has a couple of basic hotels around the plaza.
From here, trucks go to the village of Tinqui, an hour’s drive beyond Ocongate, which is the starting point for the spectacular seven-day trek encircling Ausangate (6384m), the highest mountain in southern Peru (Click here).
After Tinqui, the road drops steadily to Quince Mil, 240km from Cuzco, less than 1000m above sea level, and the halfway point of the journey. The area is a gold-mining center, and the hotel here is often full. After another 100km, the road into the jungle reaches the flatlands, where it levels out for the last 140km into Puerto Maldonado.
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CUZCO TO THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS
Traveling by bus from Cuzco to Lima via Abancay and Nazca takes you along a remote route closed from the late 1980s until the late 1990s due to guerilla activity and banditry. It now is much safer, and paved, but you should check recent news reports before heading out this way. Going west from Abancay to Andahuaylas and Ayacucho is a tough ride on a rough road rarely used except by the most hard-core travelers.
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CUZCO TO ABANCAY
There are several worthwhile stops along this four-hour, 200km ride. To do one or two and bus hop your way to Abancay in a day, start by catching a colectivo to Limatambo (S8, 1½ hours) from Arcopata in Cuzco.
Limatambo, 80km west of Cuzco, is named after the Inca site of Rimactambo, also popularly known as Tarawasi (admission S10), which is situated beside the road, about 2km west of town.