Arequipa to Puno - avoiding Julliaca
Having endured ridng through Julliaca three times in the past, I was delighted to find there is an easy short cut when travelling between Puno and Arequipa. It saves you 60km but more importantly is also saves you a depressing ride through one of the most unattractive towns I've encountered in S Am.
Google Maps show the route, as does Garmin OSM. Leaving Puno, the turn is easy to find, just after the Primax garage on the left at you exist town and drop down the hill and signposted "Manazo". Coming from Arequipa, the turn is about 30km short of Julliaca but much less obvious and not signposted.
There is a shallow and easy river crossing (it was shallow now and we are at the back end of the wet season) and about 18km of dirt road - again, easy and used by all the locals. Very scenic.
All the locals I asked told me I had to go via Julliaca. Don't - this route will make the day's riding much more pleasant.
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