Mountain-biking tours are a growing indus- try in Cuzco, and the local terrain is superb. Rental bikes are poor quality and at time of research only rígida (single suspension) models were available for hire. Good new or second- hand bikes are not easy to buy in Cuzco either, as the ever-growing army of local devotees snap them up as soon as they become avail- able. If you’re a serious mountain biker, consider bringing your own bike from home. Selling it in Cuzco is eminently viable.

If you’re an experienced rider, some awesome rides are quickly and easily accessible by public transport. Take the Pisac bus (stash your bike on top) and ask to be let off at Abra de Ccorao From here, you can turn right and make your way back to Cuzco via a series of cart tracks and single track; halfway down is a jump park constructed by local aficionados. This section has many variations and is known as Yuncaypata. Eventually, whichever way you go, you’ll end up in Cuzco’s southern suburbs, from where you can easily flag down a taxi to get you home.

If you head off the other side of the pass, to the left of the road, you’ll find fast-flowing single track through a narrow valley – you won’t get lost – which brings you out on the highway in Ccorao. From here, follow the road through a flat section then a series of bends. Just as the valley widens out, turn left past a farmhouse steeply downhill to your left, and into challenging single track through a narrow valley, including a hairy river crossing and some tricky, steep, rocky, loose descents at the end, bringing you down into the village of Taray. From here it’s a 10-minute ride along the river to Pisac, where you can catch a bus back to Cuzco.

Many longer trips are possible, but a professionally qualified guide and a support vehicle are necessary. The partly paved road down from Abra Málaga to Santa María, though not at all technical, is a must for any cyclist and is part of the Inca Jungle Trail), offered by many Cuzco operators. Maras to Salinas is a great little mission. The Lares Valley offers challenging single track, which can be accessed from Cuzco in a long day. If heading to Manu in the Amazon Basin (p474), you can break up the long bus journey by biking from Tres Cruces to La Unión – a beautiful, breathtaking downhill ride – or you could go all the way down by bike. The outfitters of Manu trips can arrange bicycle rental and guides. The descent to the Río Apurímac makes a great burn, as does the journey to Río Tambopata, which boasts a descent of 3500m in five hours. A few bikers attempt the 500km-plus trip all the way to Puerto Maldonado, which gets hot and sweaty near the end but is a great challenge.