Sarah Haden
Peruvians are fond of describing their country as having three components: costa (coast), sierra (highlands), and selva (jungle). That makeup translates into a basic imperative for travelers: To see the best of Peru, you've got to get outdoors.
Here are seven spots that give you the best active perspective on Peru.
Photo Caption: View of Machu Picchu in Peru's Sacred Valley.
The southern desert is an odd and unrelenting landscape, but it has the highest sand dunes in South America. An extreme sport fast gaining popularity is sandboarding. The biggest dunes are near Nasca, at Cerro Blanco, but the prettiest spot is Huacachina Lagoon outside of Ica.
Photo Caption: Sandboarding in the Nasca Desert in Peru.
The most famous trek in Peru is the Inca Trail, 4 days of strenuous hiking with a superlative payoff: a sunset arrival at Machu Picchu. Other, much less crowded treks share the same extraordinary scenery and feature Inca ruins, including Choquequirao and Salcantay.
Photo Caption: Machu Picchu
River rafting, from Class II to super-technical Class VI, can be done in the Urubamba Valley, on the Apurímac and Tambopata rivers in the Amazon jungle, near Colca Canyon, and on Río Santa in Callejón de Huaylas.
Photo Caption: River rafting on the Urubamba River in Peru.
The Cusco region and Callejón de Huaylas in northern Peru may draw the lion's share of adventurers, but for scenic beauty and independent hikes, Colca rivals both. One of the greatest hikes is the descent into the canyon itself, from the Cruz del Cóndor lookout. If that's not enough adventure for you, there are even longer and more demanding treks, including to remote Cotahuasi Canyon, even deeper than Colca.
Photo Caption: Trekking to the base of Canon de Colca
The Cordillera Blanca, the highest tropical mountain chain in the world, offers plenty for trekkers and mountaineers: snowcapped peaks, glaciers, lakes, and rivers. There are myriad trekking and climbing opportunities for expert mountaineers and the rest of us, including the classic 4-day Santa Cruz trek.
Photo Caption: Cordillera Blanca, Peru
The best single-track spot is this valley, where hundreds of horse trails lace lush fields and push past picturesque Andean villages and alpine lakes. Bikers can test their lung capacity climbing to 5,000m (16,400-ft.) mountain passes.
Photo Caption: Callejón de Huaylas in the Ancash region of Peru.
Here are seven spots that give you the best active perspective on Peru.
Photo Caption: View of Machu Picchu in Peru's Sacred Valley.
Photo Caption: Sandboarding in the Nasca Desert in Peru.
Photo Caption: Machu Picchu
Photo Caption: River rafting on the Urubamba River in Peru.
Photo Caption: Trekking to the base of Canon de Colca
Photo Caption: Cordillera Blanca, Peru
Photo Caption: Callejón de Huaylas in the Ancash region of Peru.