Cabanaconde sits right on the lip of the Colca Canyon, at a height of about 3,300 metres, and at the end of the road you simply look down into one of the deepest valleys on the planet. The canyon plunges more than three thousand metres in places, though people argue about the measurement, and the Colca River is a thin silver thread at the bottom. Terraces carved by pre-Inca peoples climb the walls in neat steps, and are still farmed with maize and potatoes, as they have been for centuries.
The village itself is small and unfussy, a collection of stone and adobe houses, a plaza with a church and a few simple guesthouses used by trekkers. Women wear embroidered hats and layered skirts, in the traditions of the Cabana and Collagua peoples, and the streets smell of woodsmoke and llama dung. A trail drops from the edge of the village to Sangalle, a green oasis of palms and pools at the canyon bottom, which takes a couple of hours down and a good deal longer coming back up.
The best-known sight is the Cruz del Cóndor, a viewpoint a short distance away, where Andean condors ride the morning thermals rising from the canyon. With a wingspan of up to three metres, they pass so close that you can hear the air in their feathers. Go early, because the birds fly best in the first hours after sunrise, and the crowds build quickly.
For a rider the road from Chivay is a journey in itself. It follows the canyon's rim, with sections of good tarmac and sections of rough surface, rockfall and the occasional landslide, and the views of the terraces and the volcano peaks are superb. The altitude is serious, and a motorbike loses power in thin air. Nights are cold, mornings can be frosty, and in the rainy season, from December to March, storms make the road greasy. Altitude sickness is a real risk, so ascend gradually and drink water.
Fuel is a point to plan for. Cabanaconde is tiny, and the dependable stop is Chivay, so fill up there before riding on, and carry a spare if you can. Warm clothes matter more than you expect, even at midday.
Spend the evening with a coca tea and watch the canyon turn purple in the dusk.