Aguas Calientes

I left the Hacienda early in the morning around 7am to cycle 107 km to a park of thermal baths in La Raya, as I had heard you could camp there for free as long as you paid the entrance to the park (5 soles = 1.25€).

Little did I know how tough the ride would be. The first 70km were done by midday, and I treated myself to a big and nice lunch in the last proper town for 100km. But then... I set off to tackle the 30km climb leading from 3400 to 4000m. 6
00m of elevation didn't seem to bad to me at first, but rain, headwind and the altitude soon made me doubt my route choice for the day.

However, since there was no alternative stop between the town and the hot springs, there was no other choice but to continue. Never have I ever cycled this slow. After 3 excruciatingly slow hours, full of small breaks to catch a breath, I made it to the springs just in time to catch a bath at sunset ✌️

Lastly I even met a fellow cyclist to team up with for a bit! 🚴‍♀️🚴‍♂️Read more