Moquegua

The last long haul of the Peruvian descent to the altiplano — coastal desert to colonial valley to high puna to the shore of Titicaca, all in a single day. It is a big day by any measure, and after the ascent from sea level the rest that follows in Puno will be well earned.

To Moquegua

The 7:00 am departure from Tacna follows the Panamericana Sur north, the last easy stretch of the day — flat coastal desert, well paved, with nothing much to slow the pace. By mid-morning the road descends into the valley of the Río Moquegua, where the colonial city of Moquegua appears abruptly against the surrounding desert terraces, its position chosen centuries ago for exactly the reason it still holds visitors today: water and shelter in an otherwise punishing landscape.

Moquegua's history reaches back well before the Spanish — Wari and Tiwanaku settlements occupied this valley from around 600 to 1100 AD, drawn by the same agricultural potential that later made the region famous for wine and pisco production under colonial rule. The Plaza de Armas is the place to see it distilled: an ornamental fountain in colonial style at its centre, old casonas with the characteristic mojinete roofline unique to this region, and the Catedral facing the square. The Museo Contisuyo, housed against the ruins of the old Iglesia Matriz, holds a strong collection covering the pre-Hispanic cultures of the valley for anyone wanting the fuller picture before continuing.

Fuel at Grifo El Baúl in Torata, a short distance from Moquegua, named for the flat-topped mountain visible from the road — Cerro Baúl, crowned with the ruins of a Wari fortress-settlement dating to the same era as the valley's earliest occupation.