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Peru, a destination for adventure lovers

From warm deserts, to mountains and even beautiful rivers, South American country is known for being an extreme sport destination.

Peru is versatile and its geography proves it to be the perfect place for adventures. A warm desert coast, an imposing mountain range and a lush jungle invite you to enjoy all kinds of extreme experiences and adventures including hiking in the mountains, sand boarding on coastal dunes and canoeing in rivers or trekking the Inca Trail

Here are a few extreme adventures one can look at exploring in Peru

Trekking: Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is a 39-kilometre trekking and camping trail. The longest trail starts in Pisacucho (km 82) on the Machu Picchu railway. The trail crosses through different ecosystems, colossal archaeological sites and terrain rich in flora and fauna, before arriving at the Machu Picchu citadel.

A track leads off from this trail to Salkantay. To take part in this excursion, tourists must contact a specialised tourist agency or an official tour guide.

Surf all year long: Peru's beaches are considered by experts to be among the best in the world. There are permanent surfing opportunities all year round, with small, big, long, tubular, high peak and bell waves, as well as a large quantity of waves that break closely one after the other.

The central coast has permanent surf during winter (April to September), while the north coast offers its famous swells between the months of October and March, turning it into a surfers' paradise.. The best beaches are: Cabo Blanco, Lobitos, Chicama (with the longest left wave in the world), Huanchaco, Pacasmayo and Los Órganos.

Kayak: In the many less difficult rivers, where canoeing and rafting can also be enjoyed, tourists can travel by kayak. This is especially true for the peaceful lagoons located in various regions around the country, where there are plenty of boat hire services.

Kayaking requires basic control of the craft, which essentially depends on the balance of the person willing to take the risk of possibly falling into the waters of a lagoon.

It is essential to know how to swim before embarking on a trip in a kayak. In Peru, kayaks can be enjoyed in the lagoons of the coast, mountain or jungle.

Mountaineering: The Cordillera Blanca (White Range), in Áncash, is the second highest mountain range in the world after the Himalayas and the Peruvian capital of mountaineering. It has more than 30 peaks that are more than 6 thousand metres high. The Huascarán peak, standing at 6,768 m high, is truly imposing.

The Huascarán National Park (PNH) has 663 glaciers, including the Huascarán (6,768 metres), the Huandoy (6,395 metres) and the Alpamayo (5,947 metres) glaciers. The PNH offers good accessibility, an adequate climate and is close to communities offering guide, porter and rescue services. It is the preferred choice for European climbers.

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