We entered to Peru from Ecuador through La Balza borderpost.

Last big town in Ecuador was Vilcabamba. The drive to the borders was slow, curvy and partially destroyed (but passable) because of mudslides/ landslides. After Bellavista, the road becomes gravel and deteriorates in some parts but in a sunny dry day is fun & perfectly doable especially for a bike. (We drive a 2WD Toyota Van). In a rainy day, it can become from challenging to dangerous so, be prepared and check the weather forecast before.

First big town in Peru to rest and stock up is San Ignacio and we would highly recommend the Gran Hotel San Ignacio (Jr. José Olaya 680, San Ignacio & granhotelsanignacio.com.

Regarding the insurance, this border post is really small and apparently they dont sell there. So, you can try your luck in every big town or city starting from San Ignacio in the La Positiva or MAPFRE agencies. Ask for SOAT. There are lots of rumors/ past experiences whether they sell or not to foreigners and for how much but according to our experience, they still do sell to tourists/ foreigners but only in the central offices in very reasonable prices. Eg we paid 60 soles (or 15 euro) for a TOYOTA van for a month and it is about 100 soles for a bike for the same period.

Our route on the PE-3N up to Huaraz was through San Ignacio-Jaen-Cutervo-Bambamarca-Cajamarca-Cajabamba-Huamachuco-Santiago de Chuco-Pallasca-Tauca-Chuquicara-Caraz-Huaraz.








PE-3N is a road that goes through almost the whole country. In the beginning we thought that its a proper highway but after almost 1.000 km in the Peruvian Andes, we realized that PE-3N is a tough, scenic & a bit scary road that goes through some interesting villages, mountain passes and marvelous serpentine roads that you only see in the magazines.

The stretch we have done so far is normal tar road but some parts are either under construction or hard packed gravel. We did all this drive in dry sunny days and I have serious doubts how fun, easy & even doable could be while raining. Landslides, mudslides and floods are the main dangers of this road and we have experienced some critical parts. However, all bridges are in place for now (or properly restored). Needless to say that riding a motorbike is much easier -and of course much fun- than a van or even a big truck when it comes to river crossings, mud and gravel roads

One of the most frustrating parts of the whole drive are the speed bumps (resaltos or gibas) and you cannot avoid them especially when you drive in cities. As a rule of thumb, whenever you see brand new tar, speed bumps are there to make you stop and crack your nerves. Of course, gravel parts with minimum traffic are the best parts and guarantee nice views and more relaxing drive.

• The part from Jaen to Cutervo is all gravel, mostly uphill and under construction. You will go through lots of machinery & equipment, road works, dust and short stops. Doable in a dry day, challenging in a rainy day.

• The part from Santiago de Chuco up until Tauca (about 3-5 kms are paved just before Tauca) is all good gravel except the scenic drive between El Alto to Pallasca which is paved and one of the most scenic, impressive and a bit scary drives we have done in Peru so far. Checking the peruvian section of dangerousroads.org, I realized that this pass/ canyon was just one of the many stunning mountain passes with steep curves, uphills, downhills & very narrow parts that Peru offer to the adventurers. Check the printscreen below:

• Between Jaen to Cajamarca & Huamachuco to Santiago de Chuco you will drive up to 4.000 mts, so tune up your bike if you have a carburetor, make sure you have enough gas/ diesel and prepare to stop many times to take photos of the stunning scenery.

• For hotels, hostels, gas stations, where to buy insurance, food and the rest, we have used iOverlander which is full of updates, spots and critical info about the road conditions.

• Regarding navigation, we are using offline Google maps, OSM maps downloaded in a Garmin nüvi 2595 and MAPS.ME smartphone app. Distances were -almost always- pretty accurate but the time of arrival was always off. We mainly drive slowly but with a bike maybe you can push it a bit more. (MAPS.ME app is 95% of the times wrong in the arrival times. We have checked it in other countries as well. They are supposedly trying to address this issue but with no success yet).

Safe travels & enjoy Peru!!!

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The Pin Project | Overland Greece

And the best part is you are only half way to the bottom of Peru yet. Plenty more nice drives to be had - and in the very unlikely event that you get sick of it, the boring PanAm Hwy isn't far away

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Tony
Click here for Travel Photos & Travel Map

If you haven't passed it already, take the road ~30 kilometers south of Huaraz over the mountain range. You'll see several glaciers along the way. There is a small fee to enter the park. You'll register at the ranger station several kilometers after getting on a packed gravel road.

After leaving the park, I dropped off 3N and rode secondary roads (packed gravel) passing through Margos District https://goo.gl/maps/dE486kvLe3q on my way to Huanuco.

Leaving Huanuco, I took a secondary road at Ambo, swing south-west, then turning to the east towards Cerro de Pasco

Cerro de Pasco is a large mining town with a huge strip mine in it's center. Not a great tourist attraction, but quite impressive in a brutal way. https://goo.gl/maps/3CE78XkAB2m (look at this town with Google Maps in satellite mode to get the idea.)

Another site worth see is Huayllay National Sanctuary, a.k.a. The Stone Forest. I enjoyed walking around these wild rock formations. https://goo.gl/maps/px96wdRZf8x

Baños Termales La Calera - is nearby. The entrance fee is minimal and soaking in the warm waters is so relaxing. https://goo.gl/maps/QrJUtNja4oy

Have fun and enjoy your time in Peru! There is so much to see in Peru...

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Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Wonder if you could advise me on the backroad from Loja to the border where you crossed into Peru , worth doing ? Planning to rent a small bike in Cuenca and ride down their, any info appreciated.

Yes it is and especially for a bike.

From Loja to Vilcabamba it is a small twisty country road, all paved, not in very high altitude. From Vilcabamba to the borders it is paved up until a tiny little village called Bellavista, about 95 kms (see the attached printscreen). From there until the borders (about 55 kms) is gravel road which is really worthwhile to do on a bike BUT I would strongly advise NOT to do in a rainy day due to numerous landslides/ mudlsides. Other than this, YES, it is a nice ride up to the mountains and partially through the adjacent lush green Podocarpus NP with less to minimum traffic.

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The Pin Project | Overland Greece

Thank you Thepinproject for such a prompt reply. Have my Reise Peru map out and hav pltted your route out which i plan to do plus the Ecudorian route that i Asked you about.. Sounds like a fantastic trip and i love your giraffe picture as i travel a lot in Africa which is my favourite place to ride. Safe travels and thank you so much for the info and iOverlander is the best app for adventure travellers i have found. Cheers Roy.

Thanks man. I did nothing but contributing my experience. Always love to share first hand info & experiences from the road.

Africa is also my best so far and its a shame I only spent there 2 years instead of 5..

BTW, the pic is not mine. Credits go to the HUBB. Its in their collection for choosing your avatar

Safe travels amigo & enjoy!!

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The Pin Project | Overland Greece

Awesome thread!

We will be in this area in a few weeks.

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

Safe travels!!

Just FYI, rainy season in Peru starts in November but picks up between December to April. Remember last year's devastating floods ;-(

Worth considering is the detour from Jaen to the east through Chachapoyas. Apparently there are lots of archeological sites and nice waterfalls (I am not a big fan of both of them..)

Enjoy!

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The Pin Project | Overland Greece

All those traveling this route, stop by and see Sara & I in Huanuco, right on the 3N! Peter will vouch for us!

For road conditions updates, dont forget to advise the peruvian road authorities website: :::Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones:::

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The Pin Project | Overland Greece

Great stuff! We are entering Peru in 4-5 days and will do this route!

Quick question: do Peruvian gas stations accept credit cards?

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

The AN-110 ?!??

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Alaska 2014: Hotel Budget ZeroXmas in Death Valley, New Year in Urique

Yes & No. The gas stations in this route are few and I am not sure if they have POS. But in places like Cajamarca, Caraz or Huaraz, you have more chances.

Also, be aware that the biggest amount you can withdraw using your credit/ debit card is 700 soles (around 215 USD or 185 EURO) ONLY from BCP. We tried all banks and only this bank gives this amount of money. Most of them give you 400 soles max.

Safe travels ;-)

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The Pin Project | Overland Greece

I took the road that is further south, not the AN-110.
On Google Maps it is labeled, Carretera a Pastoruri. You will be able to see a glacier or two from the road.
It's a packed gravel road. I had no issues riding it.

A short video clip taken as I was almost out of the park
https://youtu.be/EtZKJo8WqZ0

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Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride