By road, Cachora and Desaguadero are about 437 miles (704 km) apart, or roughly 13 h 42 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Distance | 437 mi (704 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 13 h 42 min |
| Main roads, in order | AP-116 → PE-3S → CU-606 → PU-117 → PE-34B |
| Regions on the route | Apurímac, Cusco, Puno |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
How the Cachora to Desaguadero drive plays out
PE-3S (343 mi) and CU-606 (17 mi) carry about 82% of the 437 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Apurímac, Cusco, Puno. Of the 9 stops listed below, 8 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Cachora to Desaguadero
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Apurímac |
| AP-116 | 2–17 | 15 | Apurímac |
| PE-3S | 17–43 | 26 | Apurímac, Cusco |
| local roads | 43–53 | 10 | Cusco |
| CU-606 | 53–70 | 17 | Cusco |
| local roads | 70–76 | 6 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 76–102 | 26 | Cusco |
| local roads | 102–112 | 10 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 112–278 | 166 | Cusco, Puno |
| connecting roads | 278–280 | 2 | Puno |
| PU-117 | 280–285 | 5 | Puno |
| local roads | 285–291 | 6 | Puno |
| PE-34B | 291–304 | 13 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 304–340 | 36 | Puno |
| local roads | 340–348 | 8 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 348–437 | 89 | Puno |
- Mile 30 of this route: Apurímac → Cusco (region line)
- Mile 214 of this route: Cusco → Puno (region line)
What to see on the way from Cachora to Desaguadero
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Killarumiyuq (mile 75), Museo de Arte Religioso del Cusco (mile 103), Ayamachay (mile 170), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 196), Pucará (mile 278), Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (mile 319), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 346), Molloko (mile 370)
- Museums and history: Killarumiyuq (mile 75), Qenko (mile 103), Museo de Arte Religioso del Cusco (mile 103), Ayamachay (mile 170), Pucará (mile 278), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 346), Molloko (mile 370)
Killarumiyuq
Killarumiyuq is an archaeological park in Ancahuasi District, Anta Province, in Peru's Cusco Region.
Qenko
About 6 km northeast of Cusco and east of Sacsayhuamán, Qenko (Q'enqo) is an archaeological site declared Cultural Heritage of the Cusco Region.
Museo de Arte Religioso del Cusco
Set in the Archbishop's Palace in Cusco, this museum holds colonial religious art of the Cusco School, and the famous Twelve-Angled Stone sits in its outer foundations.
Ayamachay
Ayamachay is an archaeological site with rock paintings in the Combapata District of Cusco's Canchis Province, above the left bank of the Salcca River near the village of Oroscocha.
Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar»
Run by the National University of San Marcos, this astronomical observatory serves both educational and tourism purposes and sits at an altitude of 4,027 meters.
Pucará
Above the highland town of Pucará, this pre-Inca complex of the Pucará culture centers on Kalasaya, a pyramid of stone monoliths with carved human heads jutting from its walls. The Museo Lítico Pucará stands on the main plaza.
Convento Franciscano de Juliaca
Juliaca's Franciscan convent, also called the Convent of Santa Bárbara, sits on Santa Bárbara hill (Hatun Rumi) about 40 meters from the Plaza de Armas. Its architecture is essentially Romanesque in style.
Carlos Dreyer Museum
Puno's Carlos Dreyer Museum (Museo Carlos Dreyer) holds about 1,800 pieces and relics spanning the pre-Inca, Inca, colonial and republican eras, in a building declared part of Peru's national cultural heritage in 1980.
Molloko
Molloko is an archaeological site in Peru's Puno Province, about 5 kilometers south of the town of Acora, near the village of Molloco.
More drives to Desaguadero
- Puno to Desaguadero
- Juliaca to Desaguadero
- Chinchero to Desaguadero
- Yucay to Desaguadero
- Maras to Desaguadero
- Paucartambo to Desaguadero
From Cachora to other places in Peru
- Cachora to Andahuaylillas
- Cachora to Kiteni
- Cachora to Lampa
- Cachora to Copacabana, Bolivia
- Cachora to Tiwanaku, Bolivia
- Cachora to Yampupata, Bolivia
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Cachora to Desaguadero?
About 13 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 437 miles.
How far is Desaguadero from Cachora by car?
About 437 miles (704 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Cachora to Desaguadero drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Cachora to Desaguadero use?
In order: AP-116, PE-3S, CU-606, PU-117 and PE-34B. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Cachora to Desaguadero?
Closest to the road: Ayamachay (archaeological site, mile 170, 0.6 mi from the route); Convento Franciscano de Juliaca (convent, mile 319, 0.3 mi from the route); Carlos Dreyer Museum (museum, mile 346, 0.4 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.