
Take the Scenic Route and Discover Abra de Lares in Cusco
Peru, south-america
56 km
4,443 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, buckle up, adventure seekers! Let's talk about Abra de Lares, a crazy-high mountain pass chilling at 14,576 feet in the Cusco Region of Peru.
This road is a proper Andean adventure. It's paved, sure, but super narrow β think "squeeze-by-another-car" narrow. We're talking hairpin turns galore and massive drop-offs with zero guardrails. Definitely not one for the faint of heart, and avoid it completely if it's raining.
This 34.7-mile stretch from Calca to Laris will take you about 1.5 to 2.5 hours of non-stop driving. It's a relentless climb, hitting gradients of up to 10% in places, so get ready for some seriously steep sections. But the views? Absolutely worth it. Prepare for scenery that will blow your mind!
Where is it?
Take the Scenic Route and Discover Abra de Lares in Cusco is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -10.6874, -75.6022
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 56 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,443 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -10.6874, -75.6022
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