South-east of Cusco, the Vilcanota valley narrows at a place called Rumicolca, and a massive stone gateway stands across the old road. Built originally by the Wari, the empire that preceded the Inca, as part of an aqueduct, and later converted by the Inca into a controlled entrance to the Cusco valley, the gateway of Rumicolca marked the checkpoint where travellers and goods were inspected. The segment of the Qhapaq Ñan between Rumicolca and Chuspitacana is part of the Andean road system inscribed on the UNESCO list in 2014, and its stones still carry the marks of the people who walked it.
Nearby, Pikillaqta, a Wari city of the first millennium AD, spreads over a hillside, with hundreds of buildings in a rigid grid, an impressive sight. The village of Andahuaylillas, a few kilometres away, has a church with richly painted walls and ceilings, one of the finest colonial interiors in Peru.
Oropesa, ten kilometres away, is famous for its bread, baked in wood-fired ovens and sold along the road in large round loaves, and Urcos, also about ten kilometres away, is a market town with fuel and basic services. The landscape is high and dramatic, at over 3,000 metres, with the river flowing between mountains, fields of corn and potatoes, and eucalyptus trees.
Riding in the Andes is challenging and rewarding. The main road from Cusco to Puno and Lake Titicaca runs through this valley, and it is paved and busy with buses and trucks. Side roads are often unpaved and steep. Altitude affects riders and machines, so take time to acclimatise in Cusco before riding, drink plenty of water, and avoid heavy meals. Weather changes quickly, with sun, rain, hail and cold in a single day. The dry season, from May to September, is the best time to ride. Try cuy, roast guinea pig, chicharrón and chicha morada, a purple corn drink.