Plan on about 14 h 30 min of driving for the 534-mile (859 km) trip from Tacna to Maras, before any stops.
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.”
| Distance by road | 534 mi (859 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 14 h 30 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S → TA-515 → TA-517 → TA-524 → TA-103 → PE-36A → PE-38A → PE-3S → PE-28F |
| Regions on the route | Tacna, Moquegua, Puno, Cusco |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.4 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
The Tacna–Maras drive in a few lines
PE-3S (273 mi) and PE-38A (51 mi) carry about 61% of the 534 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Tacna, Moquegua, Puno, Cusco. Of the 9 stops listed below, 7 are within a mile of the road.
Roads you'll take from Tacna to Maras
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Tacna |
| PE-1S | 1–50 | 49 | Tacna |
| TA-515 | 50–95 | 45 | Tacna |
| local roads | 95–99 | 4 | Tacna |
| TA-517 | 99–104 | 5 | Tacna |
| connecting roads | 104–106 | 2 | Tacna |
| TA-524 | 106–111 | 5 | Tacna |
| TA-103 | 111–139 | 28 | Tacna, Moquegua |
| PE-36A | 139–183 | 44 | Moquegua, Puno |
| PE-38A | 183–234 | 51 | Puno |
| PE-3S | 234–500 | 266 | Puno, Cusco |
| local roads | 500–508 | 8 | Cusco |
| connecting roads | 508–510 | 2 | Cusco |
| PE-3S | 510–517 | 7 | Cusco |
| PE-28F | 517–523 | 6 | Cusco |
| local roads | 523–534 | 11 | Cusco |
- Mile 137 of this route: Tacna → Moquegua (region line)
- Mile 147 of this route: Moquegua → Puno (region line)
- Mile 399 of this route: Puno → Cusco (region line)
Places worth a stop between Tacna and Maras
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Santuario del Señor de Locumba (mile 58), Inca Uyo (mile 257), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 269), Pucará (mile 334), Observatorio Astronómico «María Luisa Aguilar» (mile 415), Raqch'i (mile 435), Regional Historical Museum of Cusco (mile 509)
- Museums and history: Soro Mik'aya Patjxa (mile 223), Inca Uyo (mile 257), Carlos Dreyer Museum (mile 269), Pucará (mile 334), Raqch'i (mile 435), Qenko (mile 508), Regional Historical Museum of Cusco (mile 509)
Santuario del Señor de Locumba
Also known as the minor basilica of the Señor de los Pies Quemados, this church in Locumba venerates the Señor de Locumba, an effigy of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth.
Soro Mik'aya Patjxa
Soro Mik'aya Patjxa is a high-altitude archaeological site in the Ilave Basin, about 30 km west of Lake Titicaca's shore, used seasonally by hunter-gatherers for more than a thousand years.
Inca Uyo
Near the Church of Santo Domingo in lakeside Chucuito, Inca Uyo is a rectangular walled enclosure of cut stone holding carved, mushroom-shaped stones. Its original purpose is still debated; Peru declared it national cultural heritage in 2001.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Regional Historical Museum of Cusco
The Regional Historical Museum of Cusco occupies the house where chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega was born and lived, in the city of Cusco.
Arriving in Maras
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 Tacna to other places in Peru
- Tacna to Chucuito
- Tacna to Puno
- Tacna to Juliaca
- Tacna to Lampa
- Tacna to La Rinconada
- Tacna to Andahuaylillas
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Tacna to Maras?
About 14 h 30 min of driving without stops, over 534 miles.
How far is Maras from Tacna by car?
About 534 miles (859 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 Tacna to Maras?
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 Tacna to Maras use?
In order: PE-1S, TA-515, TA-517, TA-524, TA-103, PE-36A, PE-38A, PE-3S and PE-28F. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Tacna and Maras?
Closest to the road: Santuario del Señor de Locumba (sanctuary, mile 58, 0.1 mi from the route); Inca Uyo (archaeological site, mile 257, 0.2 mi from the route); Carlos Dreyer Museum (museum, mile 269, 0.3 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.