Puquio is a small highland town at around 3,200 metres in the Lucanas province, high above the coastal desert, and it stands at the end of one of the most dramatic climbs in Peru. The road from Nazca begins almost at sea level in a hot, dry desert and rises in the space of a few hours to the cold, windy plateau of the Andes, with vast, empty slopes, deep gorges and sudden changes of temperature. Puquio is where the climb pauses, a town of about ten thousand people with a big plaza, a market and a church, set in a bowl of hills.
The ride up is a challenge and a delight. The road leaves the Pan-American Highway and climbs through desert hills, then onto a high plateau of tawny grass. The surface is mostly paved, with some rough patches and landslides, and the bends are long and sweeping in places. Fog is common near the top, and temperatures fall quickly, so a jacket for the cold is as essential as a thin shirt at the bottom. Part of the route crosses the Pampa Galeras reserve, a huge expanse of grassland where vicuñas graze in large numbers, and you may see herds from the road.
The climb is hard on engines as well as riders, with power loss at height, and the long descents wear brakes, so check your equipment before you set out. Puquio has fuel, simple hotels and restaurants serving soups, roast meat and potatoes, which are welcome after the cold. Take time to adjust to the altitude, since the change from the coast can bring headaches and breathlessness. Drink water and avoid heavy meals on arrival.
Puquio is known in Peru for its traditions, particularly the scissor dance, in which dancers perform athletic feats to the music of harp and violin in a tradition that mixes Andean ritual and Spanish colonial influence. The town has also long been a stopping point on the route between the coast and the highlands, and its position among the high pastures gives it a rural, unhurried feel. The sky at night is dense with stars. Wrap up warmly, watch the light fade over the hills, and enjoy the thin, clear air.