Riding a motorcycle in Peru might not be the first adventure to come to mind but it is exhilarating. Here is what you need to know before you put on your helmet.
Peru is home to a lot of amazing destinations such as the Amazon river, the Amazon jungle, and the Andes mountains. These are in fact just a few of the things that can definitely enrich your life if you decide to take a trip there, and even more so if you travel by motorcycle in Peru.
If you are into having some road adventures as well, then Peru, with its curvy roads and breathtaking views, might not be the best destination for toddlers, if they are part of your traveling group. However, if you are going with your partner or with some friends, then you should definitely think about riding around the country as much as possible.
Anyone who is passionate about riding can tell you that the sense of freedom you get is incomparable with other experiences. Imagine combining this feeling with superb views of natural landscapes and remote communities filled with culture and history. This is a recipe for a great vacation that you will surely remember for a long time.
Where you should go
With this being said, you might already be looking at online reservations for Peru. If that’s the case and you are sure you want to give riding a try as well, then the destinations you can keep in mind include the large Kuelap ruins. While less famous than Machu Picchu, these ruins are located at a higher altitude and they have also been built some 500 years earlier.
You can also plan to travel from one location to the next and if that’s the way you want to go about your trip, then you should choose any road that goes from the coast to mountains along the way. You will experience thrilling riding adventures, given that hairpin roads are the norm there.
Don’t forget to check out the Tunnel de Kawish as well, which is actually the highest road tunnel in the world. Of course, the Andes need to make it to the list as well. You may end up thinking that one trip to Peru is not going to be enough, or you might plan to stay there for longer in order to see everything that there is to see.
Tips for riding in Peru
Peru is an amazing country, but this doesn’t mean that you should go there unprepared. In fact, there are several things that you may want to keep in mind, and one of these is that the weather and temperature conditions can range from twisty humid forests to hot desert roads. This means that planning for every kind of weather is mandatory.
Make sure that you have waterproof gear, including socks, as you are surely going to use them more than you might think reading this from the comfort of your couch.
Another fun fact about Peru is that locals are friendly people, but you may want to learn some Spanish before venturing there, just to make sure that you can communicate with anyone if you need to. This doesn’t mean that you should become an expert in this language, but being able to understand directions can surely be very helpful in a lot of situations.
It’s also good to know that many times the roads are closed in Peru during the wet season, due to landslides and possible flooding. Therefore, you should always be ready to change your route and never overestimate a daily driving range, especially if you are planning to use routes that cross mountains.
Another fun general rule is that the higher you go into the mountains, the friendlier the people you’ll meet are going to be.
How to rent a bike
If you are all clear on what you need to do next in order to book a flight to Peru and get a decent accommodation there, you might wonder what needs to be done in order to rent a bike. Here as well the online resources are a very good friend. You can check out companies such as the Peru Moto Tours that offer a wide range of motorcycle models, as well as basic insurance.
If you want to ride your own motorcycle, then the process can be a bit more complex, as you’ll need to get some additional legal documents, namely the Carnet de Passage.
