Friday, August 17, 2012

Latin America Travel Highlights: Costa Rica And Peru For The Sporty And The Cultured

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By Darcy Gautreau


Costa Rica is a fashionable place to live in and visit. Many artists from all over the globe have settled in the area, but it also offers some unique adventures. Machu Picchu and Peru travel are alternatives that offer a historical perspective unlike any other, with ruins of the Inca tribe.

Costa Rica is a fabulous place for the sporty and adventurous. The back roads of the area are ideal for mountain biking, and one can explore the local art and culture scene during rides. There are also cattle paths to see.

Fans of Tarzan can enjoy some swinging from tree canopies. This is an adventure that's become popular for tourists from across the world. One takes a challenging climb up a tree, after which one is harnessed and can swing, hanging from a cable, beneath the canopy.

The Reventazon river is a white water rafting experience not for the feint hearted. Only for experienced people, it has stage V rapids. Those who have never rafted before need to try calmer waters.

There are many water sports to participate in in Costa Rica. Surfing is excellent near Witch's rock. Those who rent a four wheel drive can travel from beach to beach. Those who enjoy kite surfing and windsurfing will enjoy the gales at Lake Arenal.

Canyoning features hikes through creeks and rivers of canyons and can be done near Puerta Jimenez. Those who prefer Marine life will find Isla del coco an extraordinary pleasure. It's ranked among the best diving zones in the world and has overnight boat excursions for the committed. There are hammerheads, whale sharks and manta rays in these waters.

Mount Chirripo is a more traditional hike along the coast of the Pacific. At the top, the Caribbean and Pacific can be seen. Cloud forests and low level pastures will also be traversed. Those with an interest in history might like to do Peru's Inca trail instead.

The Inca trail is the most famed walk in South America. One can take it on in five star style or do a more spiritual adventure with tent and back pack. The Machu Picchu site is considered one of the wonders of the world. It's a village made of stone with steps and roads.

The Inca trail has various routes available that range in difficulty from moderate to challenging. The most challenging one usually takes about seven days to complete and passes many ruins, as well as Machu Picchu on the final day. These walks all need to be booked far in advance as it can be fully booked for a couple of years ahead.

Machu Picchu is a fascinating study of the masonry skills of the Inca tribe. It's high in the Andes and is surrounded by diverse flora as it's in the middle of a forest. When viewed at its high level, it's an extraordinary vision that is, it's said, best viewed in solitude.

The site has bears, weasels, ocelots and pampas cats. When in the Peruvian area, it's worthwhile visiting the lesser known Inca ruins near Cuzco. Machu Picchu and Peru travel should also include some interaction with the locals, who live in similar ways to the Incas before them.




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