Whitewater Rafting

Peru has a radical geography -razor sharp mountain peaks, sheer canyons, and raging falls-, that makes the country a rafting paradise. One of the main reasons is that the Andes, that cuts through the country form North to South, is a pretty young mountain range. Its recent erosion has created spectacular canyons, both in the oriental side (with rivers flowing into the Amazon river) and the occidental side (with rivers dropping into the Pacific Ocean).

Within its borders, more than a dozen rivers run for at least 600 km. The five largest rivers alone total 7,000 km.

In the land where the great Amazon river originates, rising from the confluence of the Ucayali and the Marañón, there are plenty rivers for whitewater rafting. Some thrilling ones include the Urubamba, Colca and Apurímac in the Andes, the Cañete in the Lima department, and the Tambopata river in the Amazonian department of Madre de Dios.

This abundance of choice allows for both novices and expert river runner to experience the thrill and vertigo of rafting down a river, as the raft trembles, hops and flies through furious rapids.

Rafting was introduced into Peru by Polish adventurer Yurek Majcherzyck and his friends. They managed to paddle down the thundering Colca River after several attempts, eventually conquering some of its 300 rapids. Ever since then, a group of Peruvian rafting enthusiasts have made major efforts to open up new routes around the country.

The Coastal Rivers

The Cañete River, south of the city of Lima, is without a doubt a rafting favorite amongst Lima enthusiasts. The stretch that can be paddled, near the pleasant fruit-growing region of Lunahuaná, 160 km southeast of Lima, features Class II-IV rapids. The rafting season runs from October to April.

An Adventure Sports Festival is held in Lunahuaná between February and March, featuring much rafting, among other adrenaline-rich sports.

The Tumbes River, which flows through the Tumbes department, is the fastest-flowing river along the Peruvian coast. The stretch chosen for rafting, between the communities of Figueroa and Rica Playa, includes Class II-IV rapids along a two-three day journey through the scenic dry forests of the Tumbes Reserved Zone, which teem with alligators, river otters and iguana lizards. The rafting season runs from May to October.

The Andean Rivers

The Santa River, which winds through the Callejón de Huaylas valley, in the department of Ancash, splits the Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra mountain ranges. The stretch used for rafting runs between the towns of Caraz and Yungay, and features Class II-III rapids. It can be rafted from May to October, making it an ideal complement to a visit to the region.

The Colca River is famous for whitewater rafting, and its rapids are widely respected for their degree of difficulty. The river, which runs through the Colca Valley 300 km north of Arequipa, can be run without undue risk down the stretch between Cabanaconde and Tapay. The river can be rafted from May to October and features Class II-IV rapids. Tours set out from Chivay. With a depth of 3,091 meters, the Colca Canyon is, after Cotahuasi (3,354 meters, also in Arequipa), one of the world's deepest gorges, twice as deep as the Colorado Canyon.

Another great river for whitewater rafting is the Apurímac, which is steadily gaining a reputation as one of the world's top ten. The thundering waters of this river, whose name means "Speaker of the Gods" in Quechua (Apu means God, Rimac, to speak), eventually converge in the Amazon river, after running through the Ene and Ucayali rivers (the latter being the Amazon's most important affluent). From the peaks of the Arequipa mountains, where it rises, the Apurímac rushes through steep, narrow canyons as it pounds toward the jungle highlands. It features mostly class III and IV rapids, and a few IV+ and V.

The Jungle Rivers

The Mayo and Huallaga Rivers, located in the department of San Martín, are striking rivers which have only recently been added to the commercial circuit. The rivers feature Class II-II rapids and can be run from May to October. Tours set out from the jungle city of Tarapoto.

The wild and tumbling Tambopata River is without a doubt the most spectacular rafting route in Peru. The tour starts out at Puno, at Putina Punku (1,900 meters) and descends through some of the most exuberant jungle as far as the department of Madre de Dios (at an altitude of just 200 meters in the Amazon watershed). The trip, which mainly runs through the country's largest uninhabited region, takes 7-12 days and requires some complex logistical planning. The river features Class III-IV rapids.

Source: PromPerú (Comission for the Promotion of Peru) et al.

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