Peru

In the West of South America, Peru adventure travel holidays offer challenges and activities as varied as the region’s climate. With arid coastal deserts, cooler Andean highlands and tropical rainforest it plays host to spectacular scenery with the chance to experience outdoor activities in Peru through the air, across land or water.

The experience can be as relaxing or as spine tingling as you make it from fishing or horse riding to trekking or mountain biking to kitesurfing and kayaking. The landscape of Peru can be divided into three regions; the coast, the highlands and the rainforest.

The coast is a narrow strip of land running from the north to the south on the east side of the country; it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the east and the Andes mountains on the West. The land here is dry and desert like although more greenery appears in the south. The highlands consist mainly of the Andes Mountains which run parallel to the coast and make connecting from one side of the country to the other difficult. To the east of this region lies the Amazon rainforest which covers the largest part of the country and is the fourth largest tropical rainforest in the world.

Across Peru adventure travel journeys take you overland and through distinct climates which can also be divided into the three regions, although there are many microclimates within these. The coast has a sub tropical climate where there is little rain; this region is warmer in the north although the whole coast is subject to the cold Humboldt Current in the Pacific making the warmest time January to March and the coolest July to September. Central and Southern coastal cities are affected by fog in the winter.

Outdoor activities in Peru in its highlands are affected mostly by the Andes Mountains with temperatures ranging from cool to very cold; the higher the altitude the lower the temperatures with rain in the summer months of September to March and dry winters during May to August.

In the Amazon Rainforest the climate is hot and wet all year round with only the south having a brief dry period between June and August. You could start your Peru adventure travel experience in the Capital city of Lima, situated in the centre of the coastal region; it is by far the most populated city in Peru and is the welcoming airport for the beginning of your adventures.

Other major cities act as staging posts for many of the tours and outdoor activities in Peru that you will be experiencing, these include; Arequipa in the southern Andes, Cuzco in the south eastern Andes, Huancayo in the central Andes, Iquitos in the Amazon rainforest and Trujillo and Chiclayo on the far north west coast.

Whichever sports you choose to do there are some must see sights of Peru that should be included in your time here. The Huascaran Mountain in the Cordilla Blanca range in the Western Andes is the highest peak in Peru at 6746m above sea level it takes approximately 6 days to climb. Lake Titicaca is the largest lake in South America and the highest navigable lake in the world, its artificial islands made of reeds are populated and offer a great tourist attraction.

In Peru adventure travel journeys often follow the Amazon River, which can at least in part be explored for its varying surroundings and wildlife as well as for the fact that it is one of the longest rivers of the world contested only by the Nile. Peru is well known for its Inca heritage so the Nazca lines, geoglyphs carved into the rocks in the desert and Machu Picchu an ancient city are magnificent viewed first hand.

While many think of Peru only as a country for exploring ancient civilisations and trekking through mountains or rainforest it does have another more extreme side. This side is just starting to be explored and works well amongst the historical backdrop which gives these adventures that extra shine and exhilaration.

Peru’s location, scenery and culture enhance all of the activities that are available making the experiences really memorable. As well as the outdoor activities in Peru already described you could try Fishing, Hydrospeeding, Motor biking, or Paragliding in Cuzco. Horseriding or Whitewater rafting from either Cuzco or Lima and Kitesurfing in Mancora.