South of Cusco, the Vilcanota River runs through a broad, fertile valley flanked by high mountains, and along it ran one of the most important stretches of the Qhapaq Ñan, the Inca road system that linked an empire stretching from Ecuador to Chile. The route from Cusco to Lake Titicaca followed this valley, and sections of the original road, some paved with stone, some cut into the hillside, still survive. The segment between Cusipata and Santa Cruz de Occobamba went onto the World Heritage list in 2014 as one strand of the Qhapaq Ñan.
The towns along the valley tell the story of the conquest. Checacupe, about nine kilometres away, has an old Inca bridge site and colonial bridges side by side, as well as a modest-looking adobe church with an astonishingly rich interior of gilded altars and murals. Further south, Raqchi has the remains of a huge Inca temple dedicated to Viracocha, with a central adobe wall that still stands over ten metres high. Combapata, Tinta and Sicuani are market towns with lively Sunday markets, where you can see people in traditional dress selling potatoes, quinoa and woven textiles.
The altitude here is around 3,400 metres, which means thin air, cold nights and strong sun. Altitude sickness is a real risk for anyone arriving from the coast; spend a few days acclimatising in Cusco before riding, drink lots of water and coca tea, and do not underestimate the effects. Engines lose power too. The valley is also a gateway to Vinicunca, the so-called Rainbow Mountain, reached from Pitumarca, close to Checacupe; the striped mountain rises to over five thousand metres and is hugely popular.
The road along the valley is the main highway from Cusco to Puno, well paved and relatively easy, but shared with fast buses and trucks. Watch for animals on the road, especially llamas, sheep and dogs, as well as speed bumps through villages. Urcos, the nearest larger town, and Checacupe both have fuel and simple food, though quality varies; fill up wherever you can. Try a bowl of chairo soup or trout from the rivers, and be ready for sudden rain or hail in the wet season, from December to March.