Peru is a mystical place, full of history and folk lore. It is also home to some of the best locations for exciting outdoor sports and activities in the world, and the combination of the two is making Peru adventure travel one of the world’s most desirable locations among thrill-seeking adventurers. If you’re looking for more out of a trip than simple touring or vacation planning can provide, then Peru adventure travel is for you.
Perhaps Peru’s greatest and most impressive natural asset is the Andes Mountains. Once home to the Incan Empire, their legacy still remains all over the region in locations like Cuzco, once the ancient Incan capital, and Machu Picchu the incredible lost city situated 7,500 feet up over the Urubamba Valley. When it comes to hiking in Peru, there is no greater destination. Hiking up through the Andes with the eventual goal of reaching this incredibly well-preserved ancient city is a humbling and awe-inspiring experience, as you’ll traverse difficult terrain to be rewarded with incredible misty mountain views that will redefine your understanding of the word sightseeing.
In addition to the opportunities for hiking and camping, adventure travel in Peru centers around an international rock climbing culture that regards the Andes as one of the most difficult but also beautiful locations for rock climbing anywhere on the planet. Rock climbing in the Andes is a centuries old tradition, as the indigenous peoples who lived here relied on it every day to traverse the very terrain that they called home. While modern technology allows much more difficult and technical climbs than were possible then, while rock climbing in Peru one cannot escape the history, and it makes the experience all the more rewarding and personally moving.
The mountainous terrain also lends itself well to paragliding, a unique adventure sport which enables participants to take advantage of the many updrafts of wind and thermal air patterns that the ridges and cliffs of the Andes create. Floating through the fog over this incredible landscape and actually being able to control your flight is simply amazing, and as you take off from one ridge to float gently through a deep valley towards another, the experience can be nothing short of spiritual.
Adventure travel in Peru also encompasses mountain biking, as there are many areas and trails that provide some incredible opportunities for downhill riders. The terrain is also interesting for mountain biking because while there are no true courses built, there are plenty of natural cliffs and knolls that provide great opportunities for jumps and technical riding.
The truth is that whether you’re mountain biking, rock climbing or sightseeing from an ancient mountain ledge, adventure travel in Peru has the potential to change you forever. Few settings exist in the world that display such beauty and timelessness, and challenging yourself through unique adventure sports that take advantage of the natural wonders found here is an incredible way to deepen the experience. Nothing can prepare you for the majesty of adventure travel in Peru.
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