Peru by eBike

Day 1: Arrival to Arequipa and short briefing

Upon arrival to Arequipa we´ll welcome you at the airport and have a short drive to the city centre. Arequipa is located at an altitude of 2,325masl which makes it the perfect place to start getting used to the altitude smoothly.  We´ll have the morning free to relax in the hotel facilities or have a light lunch (not included).

In the afternoon we´ll have a short briefing to discuss all the details about our e-bike journey. We´ll give some general guidelines about the e-bikes and provide the safety instructions for the trip. After we´ll assign the e-bikes to each one of the participants and we´ll make sure everyone is feeling comfortable with them.

Accomodation: Hotel Selina
Approx. Biking Distance: 0 km
Maximum elevation reached: 2.325m (Arequipa)

Day 2: Riding through Arequipa's countryside - Huanca

This morning, after an early breakfast we´ll leave Arequipa heading to Huanca, a small town in a nice valley dedicated to farming and livestock. The drive will take about 2 hours before starting our biking adventure. The first 14km are through an almost flat terrain which is the perfect way to start getting used to our bikes and equipment. After, we´ll start our first challenge of the trip, a 15km uphill route through a gravel road till we´ll reach a beautiful natural lookout where we´ll make a short break and enjoy the scenery,  We don´t have any hurry so you can do it at your own rhythm. From the “abra” highest point of the route, we´ll observe a beautiful view of the valley with amazing terraces of different colours. Remember that almost most of these terraces have been built using only manual tools such as the Chakitajlla. From this viewpoint we´ll start a well-deserved downhill of about 15km all the way to the town of Huanca where a delicious lunch will be ready for us.

Since today is the first biking day, the route and distance may vary according to the physical condition of the group. After some rest in the small town of Huanca, we´ll drive back to Arequipa. We should be arriving to our hotel at around 7:00pm.

Accomodation: Hotel Selina
Approx. Biking Distance: 44 km – 2 hours
Maximum elevation reached: Route: 3.596 m (Viewpoint of Huanca)

Day 3: Cycling to the Colca Canyon - Volcanoes lookout and Coporaque

This morning, we’ll get ready to begin our journey towards the Colca Canyon located 160 km from Arequipa. On route we’ll enjoy beautiful views of the Misti, Chachani and Pichu Pichu volcanoes as well as pre-Inca “Andenes” still in use by local farmers.

Our first stop is at Pampa Cañahuas, a natural reserve where we will see some of the typical Andean wildlife such as wild vicuñas, llamas, alpacas, deer, wild rabbits, foxes and different species of birds, sometimes even Andean flamingos. Moving on, we’ll continue through the Andean community of Patawasi (in Quechua “high home”), where we will get a good view of the back of Misti and Chachani volcanoes.  We’ll carry on travelling along Andean landscapes until arriving to the highest point of the route the Patapampa viewpoint from where we´ll enjoy the view of the majestic volcanoes such as Chachani, Sabancaya, Ampato among others. Shortly after this stop we´ll get ready with our e-bikes and start an easy 25km descend that will take us to Chivay, the heart of the Colca valley.  From here, we´ll continue riding our e-bikes for about 8 more kilometres till reaching our lodge in the charming and peaceful town of Coporaque.

In the evening we’ll have the chance to take a relaxing bath in the nearby hot springs of Coporaque. These natural springs are surrounded by mountains, ancient terraces and the Colca river – a magical location (optional).

Accomocation: La Casa de Mamayacchi
Approx. Biking distance: 35 km – 3-4 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 4.900 m (Ventana del Colca)

Day 4: Chimpa Fortress, Condors Viewpoint and hot spings

This morning after an early breakfast, we´ll leave our hotel and head to an off-the-beaten-path viewpoint called the Chimpa fortress. We’ll make a one hour drive along the right hand side of the Colca Valley along a dirt road which has very little traffic. We want to be arriving at the starting point of our today´s hike as early as possible. Chimpa is a Castle-like Collagua fortress with amazing views of the Canyon. It is located almost in front of the classic Condors Cross viewpoint, on the opposite side of the valley. To reach the Chimpa viewpoint we need to hike 3 km from the last point reachable by car. This hike is uphill, from 3,100 mts to 3,600 mts and could take approximately 2.5 hours. If we are lucky we´ll enjoy the flight of the majestic Andean Condor. Bear in mind, it’s not always possible to spot condors but in this the chances are very good! After exploring the archaeological site we begin our hike downhill.

After enjoying some snacks down in the valley, we´ll make our way back peddling and connecting the towns of Madrigal, Lari, Ichupampa and Yanque, all of which are small, traditional Andean Villages with nice colonial churches and beautiful views in the valley. The bike-ride back to our hotel will take about 2 hours, we don´t have any hurry and we can enjoy the scenery, the views of the volcanoes, the terraces and local farmers doing their daily activities. We´ll end our biking journey at the town of Yanque where we´ll have lunch (Not included).

After lunch, we´ll drive back to our hotel where we are free to relax or if interested we can go to the hot springs of Coporaque located next to the river overlooking the volcanoes and the ancient farming terraces.

Accomodation: La Casa de Mamayacchi
Approx. Biking distance: 25-30 km – 2 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 3.613 m (Chimpa Fortress)

Day 5: Journey to Lake Titicaca & Biking around Sillustani

This morning, after breakfast, we begin our journey to Puno. It will first be a scenic route with views of huge lagoons, stone forests and small Andean farmhouses. On route, we’ll stop at the Patapampa lookout to observe the surrounding volcanoes and snow-capped mountains. We’ll also make a short stop at “Lagunillas” where we can appreciate the region’s wildlife.  We´ll then leave the main road to go through the old highway that used to connect the Colca Valley with Puno. Shortly after passing the town of Cabanillas, we´ll get ready to start our biking journey heading first to Mañazo, Vilque and then Sillustani.

Today, we´ll be covering around 65 km biking in the high plateau “Altiplano”. On route we´ll probably see some South American camelids typical of this ecosystem. We´ll visit the impressive funerary tombs of Sillustani located on a hill above Lake Umayo. These huge cylindrical tomb where constructed by the Collas culture as graves for their leaders and nobility. This is a very unique spot, which must have been very important for prehispanic Andean cultures we can find funerary tombs of various cultures here. It is a place with a special energy, where you’ll notice that even compasses don’t seem to work.

We´ll make a guided excursion in the area and then we´ll take the car back to our hotel right at the lakeshore in Puno where we should be arriving in the late afternoon.

Accomodation: Royal Inn Puno
Approx. Biking distance: 60-70 km – 3-4 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 4.900 m (Patapampa Pass)

Day 6: Lake Titicaca and the Chucuito Peninsula

This morning, after a tasty breakfast we will begin our biking exploration trip through Lake Titicaca. We’ll take our private transport for about one hour until the rural area around the community of Ilave. From here, we´ll start biking heading to the shores of the Lake Titicaca. We´ll be passing small traditional villages where we can observe daily traditional work outside. If we are on the harvesting season, we´ll organize a traditional huatia, oven made out of clods of earth where different kinds of fresh tubers are baked. If not, we´ll enjoy a picnic lunch in a nice selected spot. We´ll arrive to a lookout in the Chucuito Peninsula from where we´ll have a panoramic view of the Lake Titicaca with Taquile and Amantani Islands in front of us. Here, we´ll leave our bikes in the car and continue hiking for about 2 hours through a well preserved Prehispanic route and pristine beaches all the way to the community of Karina from where our transport will be waiting to take us to Luquina Chico where our host families will be waiting for us. We´ll probably enjoy a nice sunset at the shores of the Lake and then have plenty of time to get to know the locals and share some time and stories with them.

Accomodation: Family homestay in Luquina
Approx. Biking distance: 55-70 km – 4 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 3.958 m (Chucuito)

Day 7: Sailing at the Lake Titicaca and biking back to Puno

In the morning we´ll join the locals and go sailing with them in the Lake in their traditional boats. Lake Titicaca is considered as the highest navigable lake in the world, so this will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Maybe we can help the picking up the fishing nets or just enjoy the scenery with deep blues of the sky and the lake.  If you don´t like sailing, there is always an option of staying on the mainland and either join the locals in their daily activities mostly related to agriculture and livestock or just relax and enjoy the landscape overlooking the lake.

After and early lunch we´ll get ready once again to keep riding our e-bikes this time at the other side of the Peninsula. We´ll be riding at the shores of the Lake all the way to Plateria from where we´ll continue to the museum of Inca Uyo. At this point, we´ll board the vehicle and continue to Puno.

Accomodation: Royal Inn Puno
Approx. Biking distance: 30 km – 2-3 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 3.958 m (Luquina Chico)

Day 8: Lampa, biking to Tarucani and Tinajani and Tampo Queque Norte

Today, we continue our journey once again, everyday getting a little closer to Cusco. We have a very unique route planned out for this day. We’ll leave Puno in the early morning and cross the city of Juliaca as we drive to the village a Lampa. At Lampa we can have a rest and maybe have a look at some of its colonial buildings (there is a nice colonial church here you might like to visit). From here onwards the scenery is very remote and beautiful. We’ll drive through a narrow valley and once we reach the highest part we´ll start descending by bike to an area we call Tarucani. In this area we’ll see the “Puyas de Raymondi”, a very peculiar endemic plant that only grows in very remote areas of the Andes. The species can grow to up to 12 meters when they flourish and they produce over 8000 flowers and 6 million seeds. As we descend from Tarukani we’ll enter the Tinajani Canyon, area with plenty of peculiar rock formations that produce a spectacular scenery. Today´s route will be one of the highlights of the trip and doing it with the e-bikes will be an unforgettable experience. From Tinajani and just before connecting with the motorway we´ll board our private vehicle to continue towards today’s final destination, Tambo Queque Norte.

Tambo Queque Norte is a charming country manor located in the middle of the Andean High plains between Puno and Cusco. We’ll have the afternoon free to have a look at the rural activities at the Tambo (they have a dairy farm that produces great yogurts and cheeses) and also to explore the surroundings. They also have horses here if you like to go for an afternoon ride through the high plains.

Accomodation : Tampo Queque Norte
Approx. Biking distance: 30-40km – 2-3 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 4.495 m (Tarucani)

Day 9: Scenic Route to the Sacred Valley Through the Four Lakes

This morning, after enjoying a nice country style breakfast with fresh ingredients right from the farm, we’ll get ready to continue our route and finally reach the Sacred Valley of the Incas. As always, instead of taking the common roads we have a special and much more authentic path prepared to show you more hidden places in this area. Shortly after setting off, we’ll pass by “La Raya”, the division point between the provinces of Puno and Cusco. After crossing Sicuani, we’ll join a side route with very little traffic from where we´ll start our biking route. The route and length will depend on the physical conditions of the group and interests. The biking route of today crosses and area called the 4 lakes, a beautiful scenery of placid waters full of huallatas, flamingos and different types of birds. Today we´ll be riding through a paved road for almost the entire route with the exception of the loop to Pomacanchis lagoon which is a gravel route but with one of the most beautiful scenery of the day.  From Pomacanchis we´ll continue our route to the Sacred Valley by car.

Just before entering Cusco, we can also visit the colonial church of Andahuaylillas. This church is also known as the Sistine chapel of the Americas because of its rich baroque style (optional).

Accomodation: Pisonay Pueblo
Approx. Biking distance: 50-70 km – 3-4 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 3.800 m

Day 10: Maras, Moray and the Sacred Valley

Today we’ll get back on track and prepare for a 40 km ride through the most interesting attractions at the Sacred Valley of the Incas!

This morning, we’ll leave our hotel and drive to Cruzpata, starting point of our mountain bike adventure.  This tour is perfect for people wanting to enjoy the Sacred Valley of the Incas but actively. During the mountain trail, we delight ourselves with the view of Andean peaks and inhabitants of the region working on their daily activities.

From Cruzpata we´ll first ride our e-bikes all the way to Maras town, where we shall stop for a short stop and rest. After we´ll continue through a single track to the salt mines of Maras, an impressive salt-extraction complex consisting of thousands of small terraces. During the dry season they fill the pans every 3 days with salty water that comes from a natural spring, once the water is evaporated, they collect the salt they’ve been selling at the markets of the region since before the Inca times. After a nice lunch we will continue riding our bikes all the way to Moray, one of the most unusual Inca sites consisting of circular terraces built upon a natural depression, which seem to have been an agricultural experimental station used to adapt crops to different temperatures.  We´ll visit Moray and after the visit, we´ll continue riding our e-bikes all the way down to Pachar at the bottom of the Sacred Valley.

We´ll finally continue by car to our charming small hotel at the Sacred Valley where we should be arriving in the late afternoon.

Accomodation: Pisonay Pueblo
Approx. Biking distance: 50 km – 3-4 hours
Maximum elevation reached: 3.753 m

Day 11: Pinkuylluna, the Malaga Pass, Coffee Farm and the Hot Springs of Santa Teresa

This morning we´ll drive to Ollantaytambo where we can make a short optional hike to the Qolqas of Pinkuylluna, agricultural storehouses located on the hillside opposite to the fortress of Ollantaytambo. From here we can have not only the best views of the archaeological site but also the opportunity to enjoy this place avoiding the big crowds of tourists. Afterwards, we’ll leave Ollantaytambo on our transport and head for the Malaga Pass (4230 masl). Depending on the weather conditions we can either start about 20 km before the Pass or a few kilometers after, if the weather is not good. After a short security briefing we´ll start this quite popular and easy biking downhill route that takes us from this high mountain pass into the lower jungle areas of Huayopata and Santa Teresa. It will be a ride of approximately 60 km of changing scenery, the ride is beautiful however bear in mind that today´s route is through a main road where cars and trucks drive quiet fast so we´ll need to take special care. For this section consider as essential personal protection such as elbow and knee pads, gloves and of course a good helmet.  Once in Huayopata we´ll visit a coffee and cacao farm. We´ll be able to appreciate and try the different fruits of the area and also learn about the production of this delicious coffee. From Huayopata we’ll then continue in our transport all the way to the village of Santa Teresa where we can spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our hotel or we can visit the hot springs of Cocalmayo which are nearby.

Accomodation: Eco Quechua Lodge
Approx. Biking Distance: 84 km
Maximum elevation reached: 4.332 m

Day 12: Discovering Machu Picchu

Today is the big day! We’ll be visiting Machu Picchu. However we’ll be patient, and not rush to the site. This morning we’ll leave our hotel after an early breakfast and head to the nearby Hidroelectric plant, the starting point of our 10km hike to the village of Aguas Calientes. We’ll be sleeping in Aguas Calientes tonight, so it is important that we have a small backpack with us, in which we can only take what we need for one night as we will be carrying it ourselves. This is a very easy hike along flat terrain (following the train tracks), through the cloudforest. It usually takes us between 2 and 3 hours to complete (the idea is to begin at 7am). This means that we should be arriving to Aguas Calientes in the late morning.

On arrival, we’ll head to our hotel, have a wash and drop off our luggage. Check in is usually in the afternoons but if the rooms are already available we’ll be able to use them.

Then, at around midday we’ll head to Machu Picchu. We want to visit this great site at noon, when most people are already leaving. We’ll take a 20-minutes bus up the steep zigzagging road to Machu Picchu Citadel, located on an impressive mountain setting. We’ll explore the site for the rest of the afternoon until Machu Picchu closes, at around 4:30pm. Finally, we return to Aguas Calientes where we’ll spend the night.

Accomodation: Hatun Inti Classic
Approx. Biking distance – 0 km – no route today
Maximum elevation reached: 2.400 m

Day 13: Scenic Train Ride to Ollantaytambo and back to Cusco

This morning, after breakfast, we’ll get ready to enjoy a scenic train ride back to Ollantaytambo. The train journey is a spectacle in itself as we’ll be able to appreciate the changing landscape from lush jungle to green fields and eucalyptus forests, always travelling beside the meandering Urubamba River. Upon arriving to Ollantaytambo our driver will be waiting for us to take us back to Cusco city where we´ll have the rest of the afternoon to relax and enjoy at our own.

Accomodation: Casa San Blas Boutique
Maximum elevation reached: 3.513 m

Day 14: Departure Day

Cusco is one of the most interesting cities in Peru and South America. Today we’ll have the entire day to explore the streets, plazas and markets of this UNESCO World Heritage City at our own pace. Then, at the coordinated time, we’ll head to Cusco’s airport to board your flight to Lima and international connecting flights back home or to start off into a new adventure – we’ve got plenty of ideas how to extend your holiday in case you wish to continue your journey a bit further.