This segment of the Inca road runs just outside Puno, on the western shore of Lake Titicaca, and it connects with a longer line that leads toward the south and the Bolivian frontier. Yanamayo and Kancharani are small places on the Collao plateau, where the road, now often reduced to a stony track, crosses fields and low ridges. The Inca engineers built it to a standard width, with stone edges in places and stone drains, and some stretches are still clearly visible. For an observer used to modern roads, a path built for walkers and llama trains is an eloquent thing. It ran without wheels, since the Inca had no wheeled transport, and was meant to carry foot messengers, armies and caravans of animals.
The surrounding country is classic altiplano. The ground is high and open, with clumps of ichu grass, rounded hills and scattered adobe farmsteads. Cattle and sheep graze among the stubble. A stiff wind blows most afternoons, and thunderstorms roll across the plateau in the wet season, from December to March. Skies at this altitude are extraordinarily clear, and the night stars are dense and bright. Lake Titicaca appears and disappears at the edge of sight, glinting under the clouds.
Puno, only three and a half kilometres away, is the base. The town is built on a slope above the lake, with a cathedral, a main square and a waterfront promenade. Fuel, shops, restaurants and small hotels are plentiful, and the town has an energetic festival culture. The Fiesta de la Candelaria, held in February, is one of the largest folk festivals in South America, with brass bands and dancers in elaborate costumes filling the streets for days. If your trip falls at that time, book accommodation far ahead.
For riding, the road south from Puno along the lake toward Juli, Pomata and Desaguadero is among the finest in the region, with views over the water and the Bolivian mountains beyond. The tarmac is generally good, though sections can be rough, and the border town of Desaguadero is crowded and chaotic. Take it slowly at altitude, and wear layers, since mornings are freezing and afternoons can be warm. May to October is the dry season, with the clearest skies.