By road, Puerto Maldonado and Maras are about 439 miles (706 km) apart, or roughly 12 h 50 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 by road | 439 mi (706 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 12 h 50 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-30C → PE-34B → PU-100 → PE-3S → PE-28F |
| Regions on the route | Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 17.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
What the drive from Puerto Maldonado to Maras is like
PE-3S (128 mi) and PE-30C (112 mi) carry about 55% of the 439 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Madre de Dios, Puno, Cusco. Of the 6 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Puerto Maldonado to Maras, 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 | 414–421 | 7 | Cusco |
| PE-28F | 421–428 | 7 | Cusco |
| local roads | 428–439 | 11 | Cusco |
- 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)
Where to stop on the way to Maras
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chichakuri (mile 194), Mawk'allaqta, Melgar (mile 263), Raqch'i (mile 339), Ayamachay (mile 347), Museo de Arte Religioso del Cusco (mile 414), Puqro (mile 416)
- Museums and history: Chichakuri (mile 194), Mawk'allaqta, Melgar (mile 263), Raqch'i (mile 339), Ayamachay (mile 347), Museo de Arte Religioso del Cusco (mile 414), Puqro (mile 416)
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.
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.
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.
Puqro
Puqro is an Inca-era archaeological site within the Sacsayhuamán Archaeological Park in Cusco, once part of a water system linked to the Qhalispuquio shrine and the Sisikancha.
In Maras itself
Moray
About 50 km northwest of Cusco and just west of Maras, Moray sits on a plateau at roughly 3,500 meters. Its Inca ruins are mainly terraced circular depressions, the largest about 30 meters deep.
Quispiguanca
Quispiguanca, also written Q'espihuanca or Q'espiwanka, was a royal estate of the Inca emperor Huayna Capac.
Ayawayq'u
Ayawayq'u, also known as Yukay or Kapillayuq, is an archaeological site with rock paintings in the Yucay District of Urubamba Province, in Peru's Cusco Region.
More drives to Maras
- Abancay to Maras
- Andahuaylas to Maras
- Ayacucho, Peru to Maras
- Nazca to Maras
- Huancavelica to Maras
- Ica to Maras
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 Maras?
About 12 h 50 min of driving without stops, over 439 miles.
What is the driving distance from Puerto Maldonado to Maras?
About 439 miles (706 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 Puerto Maldonado to Maras 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 Puerto Maldonado to Maras use?
In order: PE-30C, PE-34B, PU-100, PE-3S and PE-28F. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
Where can you stop on the way from Puerto Maldonado to Maras?
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); Ayamachay (archaeological site, mile 347, 0.5 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.