white-water-rafting

While you may enjoy everything about Peru, something that you may not have known is that the country hosts some of the best whitewater rivers that take you across the scenic Andes as they plunge through the lush canyons of the Amazon.

From the hilltop, iconic ruins of Machu Picchu to the natural baths and hot springs of Aguas Calientes, Peru is a complex as well as intricate place.

Being one of the economies that are best performing in the Latin world, the contradicting desert and plush green heaven is a sight to marvel.

The Nevado Huascaran to the Pacific beaches, the bitingly freezing Andes to the extremely arid Sechura Deserts, The Republic of Peru is just wonderful.

White Water Rafting in Peru

Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire, is the capital of whitewater rafting.

The exciting Apurimac River and the Urubamba River are located in Cusco. Not very far from Cusco, you can also find the Tambopata river in the Amazonian jungle, Cotahuasi River (near to the Colca Canyon), Arequipa and Río Santa in the Callejón de Huaylas.

The thing is, no matter how skilled of a rafter you are, a novice or a world-class Olympic kayaker, Peru offers stunning opportunities to whitewater rafting.

The rivers have classes depending on what level you want to try.

The Class II and III rivers are best suited for the experimenting type while Class IV and V for those who can easily find their way around a raft.

You also need to consider the river’s locations, for example, the Class IV and V on remote canyons are best preserved for the hardcore of the lot.

The idyllic time to enjoy white-water rafting is during the May through September period as the water levels are low and conducive.

During the rainy season, the rivers are dangerous and lash out like a sea creature in a sailor’s nest. They are dangerous and only a preserve for those on a suicide mission.

You can visit our article on Machu Picchu Best Time To Visit to get a better idea of the best times to visit Peru, and in particular, the Cusco area.


Urubamba and Apurimac Rivers

The 450 miles (725 km) long Urubamba River in the Sacred Valley and the 429 miles (690 km) of the Apurimac river on the ridge of the Mismi mountain in the Arequipa Province, are best white-water rafting spots.

Both these rivers join to form Ucayali River, which is the main headstream of the Amazon.

On both rivers, tours are offered to both beginners and hardcore white-water rafting enthusiasts. This is mainly made possible by the rivers having different sections that can be divided into respective classes.

There are many travel offices situated in and around Cusco’s city, which all claim to offer and work rafting tours.

As a general rule, just a handful of organizations are authorized to offer these tours, and in this manner, it is best to book specifically with the operators, as it allows you to know precisely your tour, and what can you expect from your trip.

You get what you pay for. Great rafting is quite costly, and the nature of the hardware and tour guides you get is regularly intelligent of the sum you pay.

Wellbeing is vital while rafting, so it is critical to tune in to the directions of your guide and enjoy a good time in a safely manner.

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