By road, Puerto Maldonado and Cachora are about 516 miles (831 km) apart, or roughly 15 h 36 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 road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Total distance | 516 mi (831 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 15 h 36 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-30C → PE-34B → PU-100 → PE-3S → CU-606 → AP-116 |
| Regions on the route | Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco, Apurímac |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 20.7 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 8 |
The Puerto Maldonado–Cachora drive in a few lines
PE-3S (175 mi) and PE-30C (112 mi) carry about 56% of the 516 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco, Apurímac. Of the 8 stops listed below, 5 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Madre de Dios |
| PE-30C | 2–114 | 112 | Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco |
| PE-34B | 114–220 | 106 | Cusco, Puno |
| PU-100 | 220–284 | 64 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 284–405 | 121 | Puno, Cusco |
| local roads | 405–413 | 8 | Cusco |
| connecting roads | 413–414 | 1 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 414–441 | 27 | Cusco |
| local roads | 441–446 | 5 | Cusco |
| CU-606 | 446–464 | 18 | Cusco |
| local roads | 464–473 | 9 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 473–500 | 27 | Cusco, Apurímac |
| AP-116 | 500–514 | 14 | Apurímac |
| local roads | 514–516 | 2 | Apurímac |
- Mile 99 of this route: Madre de Dios → Puno (region line)
- Mile 106 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
- Mile 116 of this route: Cusco → Puno (region line)
- Mile 303 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
- Mile 488 of this route: Cusco → Apurímac (region line)
What to see on the way from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chichakuri (mile 194), Mawk'allaqta, Melgar (mile 263), Raqch'i (mile 339), Iglesia de la Recoleta (mile 413), Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco (mile 414)
- Museums and history: Chichakuri (mile 194), Mawk'allaqta, Melgar (mile 263), Raqch'i (mile 339), Tipón (mile 400), Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco (mile 414), Balcón del Diablo (mile 417), Tarahuasi (mile 473)
Chichakuri
Stone tombs, walls, houses and squares make up Chichakuri, an archaeological site in Peru whose Quechua-Aymara name refers to the chigoe flea.
Mawk'allaqta, Melgar
Mawk'allaqta, a Quechua name meaning "ancient place" and also spelled Maucallacta, is an archaeological site in Nuñoa District, Melgar Province, in Peru's Puno Region.
Raqch'i
Raqch'i, in the Vilcanota valley of Cusco's Canchis province, preserves the Inca temple of Wiracocha, about 92 meters long, along with ceremonial spaces and 156 qolqas, or storehouses, built partly of volcanic stone.
Tipón
About 22 km southeast of Cusco near the village of Tipón, this early 15th-century Inca site spreads between 3,250 and 3,960 meters and is enclosed by a defensive wall about 6 km long.
Iglesia de la Recoleta
A Catholic church in Cusco, the Iglesia de la Recoleta has been part of the city's Monumental Zone, declared a Historical Monument of Peru, since 1972.
Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco
On Plazoleta de las Nazarenas in Cusco's San Blas district, this museum displays some 450 pre-Columbian artworks and artifacts from across Peru, drawn from the Larco Museum collection in Lima.
Balcón del Diablo
On the right bank of the Chakan River, the Devil's Balcony (Balcón del Diablo) is an archaeological site set on a large rock formation.
Tarahuasi
Tarahuasi is an archaeological site in Limatambo District, Anta Province, in Peru's Cusco Region.
When you get to Cachora
Inka Raqay, Apurímac
Inka Raqay (Inkaraqay) is a small archaeological complex in Cachora District, Abancay Province, in Peru's Apurímac Region.
Sayhuite
About 47 kilometers east of Abancay in Peru's Apurímac region, Sayhuite is an archaeological site considered a center of Inca religious worship focused on water.
More drives to Cachora
- Andahuaylas to Cachora
- Ayacucho, Peru to Cachora
- Nazca to Cachora
- Ica to Cachora
- Huacachina to Cachora
- Huancayo to Cachora
From Puerto Maldonado to other places in Peru
- Puerto Maldonado to Lampa
- Puerto Maldonado to Chucuito
- Puerto Maldonado to Andahuaylillas
- Puerto Maldonado to Písac
- Puerto Maldonado to Chinchero
- Puerto Maldonado to Yucay
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora?
About 15 h 36 min of driving without stops, over 516 miles.
What is the driving distance from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora?
About 516 miles (831 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.
Is it safe to drive from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora?
In order: PE-30C, PE-34B, PU-100, PE-3S, CU-606 and AP-116. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Puerto Maldonado to Cachora?
Closest to the road: Chichakuri (archaeological site, mile 194, 0.2 mi from the route); Raqch'i (archaeological site, mile 339, 0.4 mi from the route); Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cusco (art museum, mile 414, 0.7 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.