Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
below 1000m. Englishman Barry Walker is a self-confessed 'birding bum' and the best
resident ornithologist to give serious birders plenty of enthusiastic advice. He has written
a field guide,
The Birds of Machu Picchu,
and runs tour agency
Birding in Peru
(
22-5990;
www.birding-in-peru.com
)
with bird-watching trips throughout Peru, Bolivia
and Chile.
Other Activities
For a post-trek splurge, a number of spas offer massage services, including the highly pro-
www.samana-spa.com
;
Tecsecocha 536; 10am-7pm Mon-Sat).
Beware of cheap mas-
sages touted in the street; most practitioners lack formal training and there are reports of
massages getting much more
intimate
than expected.
ADVENTURE SPORTS
Sacred Valley Via Ferrata
( 984-11-2732;
www.naturavive.com
; per person S160)
'Iron Way' in Italian, this
climb features a series of ladders, holds and bridges built into a sheer rock face. First de-
veloped in the Italian Alps in WWII, it's a way for reasonably fit non-rock climbers to
have some adrenaline-pumping fun. It was constructed and is operated by rock-climbing
and high-mountain professionals. In a stunning setting in the Sacred Valley, it features a
300m vertical ascent, a heart-hammering hanging bridge 200m above the valley floor and
a 100m rappel. There is also a zip line (S160) accessed by a 40-minute hike. Each activity
takes three to four hours and the price includes pickup and drop-off in Cuzco or
Urubamba, climbing and lunch.
Action Valley
( 24-0835;
www.actionvalley.com
;
Santa Teresa 325; 9am-5pm Sun-Fri, closed
mid-Jan to mid-Feb)
Adventure park extraordinaire, this place is a terror for acrophobes
and a blast for kids and juvenile adults. Offerings include paintball (S75), a 10-meter
climbing wall (S36), a 122m bungee jump (S230) and a bungee slingshot (S230). It's also
possible to go paragliding (S315) from the
mirador
of Racchi. The park is 11km outside
Cuzco on the road to Poroy.
ADVENTURE SPORTS
