Peru has become a star on South America's burgeoning adventure and extreme sports travel circuit, a far cry from the days when just traveling to Peru was adventure enough. These days, many gringos in Peru have Gore-Tex boots on their feet and adrenaline rushes on their minds.
The Cusco-Sacred Valley region is one of the best in Peru -- and the whole of South America -- for white-water rafting, mountain biking, trekking, hang gliding, and paragliding. The most popular outdoor activity in Cusco is, of course, hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, but there are scores more trekking and other adventure opportunities. River runs are extremely popular, and justifiably so: Peru has some of the world's wildest rivers, and even for beginners, rafting is a sport that ripples with excitement. For more leisurely outdoors experiences, there are scores of good, gentle walking paths and horseback riding.
Many tour operators in Cusco organize adventure trips, some lasting a single day and others multiday camping trips focusing on one or more extreme sports. Participants range from novices to hard-core veteran adventure junkies; no experience is required for many trips, but be sure you sign up for a program appropriate for your level of interest and ability. Extreme sports being what they are, I suggest that you thoroughly check out potential agencies and speak directly to the guides, if possible. Hunting for bargains in this category is not advisable; quality equipment and good, English-speaking guides are fundamental for safety considerations. That said, booking a tour in Cusco rather than your home country may lead to a large discount. Trips booked in advance may be changed if there are not enough participants or farmed out to another, subcontracting, agency. In addition to the agencies listed below, Viento-Sur Adventures (tel. 084/201-620; www.aventurasvientosur.com) in Urubamba offers a full range of outdoors programs, from trekking and walking to paragliding, mountain biking, and horseback riding.
