A Most Tricky Scenic Drive to Abra Arcata
Peru, south-america
57 km
4,700 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventurers, listen up! I just found this crazy road in the Arequipa region of Peru called Abra Arcata, and it's a total must-do for any serious road tripper. We're talking seriously high altitude here—a whopping 5,101m (16,735ft)! It's nestled south of Abra Condorillo in the Condesuyos province, inside the Cotahuasi Subbasin Landscape Reserve, so you know the scenery is going to be epic.
The road, officially known as AR-611, is unpaved, but surprisingly in decent shape most of the way. There's this one seriously steep kilometer after you pass the Arcata mine at 4,700m, but after that, it's a more gradual (and gorgeous) climb to the top. Watch out for some sandy sections and those hairpin turns—they can be a bit dicey! The good news is that even though it's steep, the road surface is solid, so it's not *too* crazy. Oh, and you even drive right through a mine at one point—talk about unique!
The whole stretch from Arcata is about 57km (35 miles) of pure, unadulterated adventure. Picture this: multi-colored hills stretching as far as the eye can see, and a feeling of total isolation. The views from the summit? Absolutely breathtaking. And the descent into the valley beyond? Forget about it—pure magic!
Where is it?
A Most Tricky Scenic Drive to Abra Arcata is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -10.4308, -74.7512
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 57 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,700 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -10.4308, -74.7512
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