This is a stretch of the Inca road, and it is made for feet. The Qhapaq Ñan was the great road system of the Inca empire, more than thirty thousand kilometres of stone causeways, steps, bridges and tunnels linking the Pacific coast to the high Andes and from Colombia down to Chile and Argentina. UNESCO listed the network across six countries in 2014. The segment between Mach'ay and Samarinapata runs through the mountains of the Cusco region, west of Machu Picchu, and its name tells the story. A mach'ay is a cave, and samarina is a place to rest, so the route marks shelters and stopping points for travellers and for the chasquis, the relay runners who carried messages and goods at great speed across the empire.
You will not ride the trail itself, which is a narrow path of stone paving over passes above four thousand metres, but the valleys around it make a fine day on a motorbike. The Urubamba valley road from Cusco through Urubamba and Ollantaytambo is smooth, and further on it climbs toward the Abra Málaga pass, high above four thousand metres, with hairpins, cloud forest and a dramatic drop into the jungle on the far side. The surface is good, but landslides, cold fog and sudden rain are common, and altitude can make a rider dizzy, so take it slowly, drink water and give yourself a couple of days in Cusco to acclimatise.
Fuel is available in Cusco, Urubamba and Ollantaytambo, but not in the high villages, so fill up before you leave the valley. Small shops sell water, snacks and coca tea, and Quechua-speaking families still herd llamas and alpacas on the high pastures.
The dry season, from May to September, brings clear days and cold nights, and the rainy months, from November to March, bring mud and cloud. If you walk a stretch of the Inca road, go with a licensed guide, because the paths are protected and conditions change. The sense of walking where messengers once ran is the real reward.