CUZCO TO THE JUNGLE
There are three overland routes from Cuzco to the jungle. The least-developed,
cheapest and quickest goes northwest from Ollantaytambo over the Abra Málaga
pass, to the secondary jungle around Quillabamba and into little-visited Ivochote
and Pongo de Mainique beyond.
The other two routes are more popular but are rarely accessed by road. You
can get to the area around Parque Nacional Manu through Paucartambo, Tres
Cruces and Shintuya, or to Puerto Maldonado via Ocongate and Quince Mil. To
get deep into these areas, most people go on organized tours which include lightplane flights in and out, or in some cases, 4WD road transport.
All of these roads are muddy, slow and dangerous. Think twice before
deciding to travel overland, and don’t even contemplate it in the wettest months
(January to April). An invaluable resource for independent travelers is the
Peruvian Jungle Information Packet, sold by the South American Explorers
