Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
950-018-836)
these stop to let passengers on and off along the way, so you can use
them to access towns along the route. Midrange-priced
Littoral
( 23-1155)
and
CIAL
( 965-401-414)
are faster and more comfortable.
The most enjoyable way to get to Puno is via
Inka Express
( 24-7887;
www.inkaexpress.com
;
Av La Paz C32, El Óvalo)
or
Turismo Mer
( 24-5171;
www.turismomer.com
; Av La Paz A3, El Óvalo)
, which run luxury buses every morning.
The service includes lunch and an English-speaking tour guide, who talks about the four
sites that are briefly visited along the way: Andahuaylillas, Raqchi, Abra la Raya and Pu-
cará. The trip takes about eight hours and costs around S143.
Departures to Arequipa (S25 to S30, nine hours) cluster around 6am to 7am and 7pm to
9:30pm. Ormeño offers a deluxe service at 9am.
Cruz del Sur,
CIVA
( 24-9961;
www.civa.com.pe
)
and
Celtur
( 23-6075)
offer
relatively painless services to Lima. Wari is the best of the cheaper options. Most buses to
Lima stop in Nazca (12 hours) and Ica (14 hours). These buses go via Abancay and can
suffer holdups in rainy season. Between January and April, it may be worth going via
Arequipa (25 to 27 hours) instead.
Buses depart every couple of hours through the day for Abancay and Andahuaylas
(S45, six to eight hours). Celtur has slightly nicer buses than other companies on this
route. Change at Andahuaylas to get to Ayacucho via rough roads that get very cold at
night. If you're going to Ayacucho by bus, wear all of your warm clothes and if you have
a sleeping bag, bring it onboard the bus.
San Martín
( 984-61-2520)
and
Expreso Sagitário
( 22-9757)
offer direct buses
to Tacna (S70, 17 hours). Expreso Sagitário also goes to Arequipa, Lima and Puno, and
may be more open to bargaining than other companies.
Various companies depart for Puerto Maldonado between 3pm and 4:30pm; CIVA is
probably the best option.
Buses to Quillabamba via Santa María leave from the Santiago terminal, a brisk
20-minute walk from the center. Around the corner in Calle Antonio Lorena, many more
companies offer air-conditioned, speedy comfort in the form of modern minivans that cost
twice as much and cut a couple of hours off the trip. There are departures of both types of
service at 8am, 10am, 1pm and 8pm. Change at Santa María to get to Santa Teresa.
Tinqui (S9, three hours), the start of the Ausangante trek, leaving from behind the Coliseo
Cerrado several times a day.
Transportes Gallito de las Rocas
( 22-6895; Diagonal Angamos)
buses depart to
Paucartambo (S9, three hours) daily and to Pilcopata (S20, 10 to 12 hours) Monday, Wed-
