During our tour of Machu Picchu and the Uyuni Salt Flat, we lead our group along the PE30, an experience filled with beauty and excitement.
After arriving at Nazca by way of the Panamerica, which runs along the Pacific Ocean coast, we make an early start the following morning: an intense day travelling along the PE30 lies ahead of us. This is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful roads in the world, which takes us climbing steadily to a height of more than 4800 metres.
The allure of the PE30 is due above all to the 600 kms of its bends and curves, conditions more favoured by motorcyclists than any other, and to its gradual and continuous climb to above 4800, then to descend gently to 4000. Added to the excitement of the road is the attraction of the scenery, which ranges from the Nazca desert to the highest points of the South American plateau. Here the travellers can experience a gradual change in temperature, landscape, flora and fauna, passing from the sandy desert environment to the magnificent sight of the great heights. Additionally, as we ride along the PE30 we come across little villages built into the rock and surrounded by patches of greenery, where the inhabitants, from the Quechua and Aymara peoples, greet us as we pass.
What makes the PE30 extraordinary is most of all the variety of the landscape, which offers the travellers an uninterrupted succession of the unexpected, ascents and descents, splendid valleys, sparkling rivers coursing through the rocks: a truly intense route that gives a constant impression of passing through different countries, whereas in fact we remain in Peru, a land of exceptional morphological and cultural richness.
The day ends when we reach the Sacred Valley, arriving there from lower down and entering directly into the very heart of this sacred place, a point of reference for the Inca civilization and Empire. While still immersed in the bewitching atmosphere of Inca civilization, towards the evening we shall arrive at Cusco, a major South American city, but also the capital and symbol of this great Empire.
Both history and nature make the PE30 one of the most beautiful roads in the world, not only from a motorcycling aspect but for the perfect interweaving between the allure of the route, the beauty of the landscape and the fascination of the local culture. With the added value of the specialties of Peruvian cuisine which we shall enjoy at Urubamba, the city where we spend the night before our visit to Machu Picchu the following day.
