Peru', Ruta National 3: to Canon del Pato

One of the main objective of this trip was to cross the Cordillera of Peru and especially the part that is known as Cordillera Negra. 

But there is a special place in Peru where the Cordillera Blanca and the Cordillera Negra join their slopes.

This place is the famous Canon del Pato, a canyon formed by the Santa River when it breaks the orographic convergence of the Cordillera Blanca with the Cordillera Negra.

Along the canyon runs the road that connects the cities of Santa and Caraz, built on the defunct railway line from Chimbote to Huallanca. 

This road is known as one of the most dangerous in the world because it is narrow, and that’s why it has been included in the documentary series "Deadly Routes" produced by History Channel.​

On January 6 we decide to ride the famous Canon del Pato.

However in order to reach these 40 km long Canyon, coming from north, we went trough incredibly beautiful landscapes with greens, blue, red and yellow continuously, seamlessly melting.

Honestly the road is not dangerous and it is traveled daily by buses, trucks, cars and motorcycles as it is the entire Ruta National 3 which crosses the Peruvian Andes, from San Ignazio on the border with Ecuador, to Puno on the border with Bolivia.

We even crossed paths with a group of 3 BMW’s with 2 GS and 1 k1600.

Over the following weeks we will definitively ride the entire Ruta 3.

And now we leave you to the images of this astonishing canyon.