Lima Sports Activities

Although the national sport of Peru remains soccer, the country’s diverse terrain and climate offer an increasing variety of entertaining outdoor activities ranging from the tame to the extreme. An added bonus of many of the activities is that they are available for a range of different athletic levels and travel types, from families to individuals, and from novice to expert. National spectator sports also popular in Lima include bullfighting, cockfighting, and horse racing.

Popular team games in Peru other than soccer include volleyball, tennis, and golf.  Extreme sports available to the more adventurous traveler in regions throughout the country include surfing, mountain biking, paragliding, trekking, horseback riding, and river rafting.

Lima Surfing

Peru is renowned for its excellent surfing options, as well as extensive beaches, and rain-free winters. With over 2000 km of coastline and multiple mile-long waves, it is no wonder that fishermen have been surfing here for thousands of years. Today the country has become one of the best surf destinations in the world, hosting international competitions and attracting thousands of surfers annually.

Popular surf spots located just south of urban Lima include the mighty Pico Alto at Punta Hermosa (where waves can reach a staggering ten meters high), San Bartolo, Huaico, and competition headquarters in Punta Rocas. Other local beaches are Barranquito and La Herradura.

More information regarding beach rating and break information can be found online at http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/South_America/Peru/Lima/.

Tubos Surf School (www.tubossurfschool.net) is a Lima-based surf instruction school with ample experience introducing beginners, both young and old, to this sport.

Lima Cycling

The very flat territory of Lima makes for great cycling, and various companies offer bicycle tours as a new and interesting way to get a close-up view of the city while you cruise through the streets, avenues, parks, boulevards, bike paths, and main interest places of Lima. For those who are a little more adventurous (though cycling through Lima is no small feat either!), there are many tour companies now specializing in cycling tours to and around the scenic outskirts of Lima. Half, full, and multi-day cycling tours of varying degrees of difficulty can be found going to the Lurin Valley, Pachacamac and Antioquia, offering a refreshingly unique way to discover the lesser explored regions of Lima. A few reputable operators are listed below:

Peru Cycling – in and around Lima, as well as many other destinations along the coast and in the country’s highland regions.

www.perucycling.com

Bike Tours of Lima – Lima city tours
http://www.biketoursoflima.com/home.htm

Lima Horseback Riding

Some ranches located on the outskirts of Lima provide travelers with the unique opportunity to ride Peruvian paso horses along mountain trails, beach coastlines, or ruins of ancient civilizations. Known for a unique gait that swings sideways rather than forward, these horses are direct descendents of the horse brought by Spanish conquistadors four centuries ago, and today can be found only in Peru. There are many tour companies as well as individual families that offer horse rentals and trail guiding.  Here are some contacts of the most familiar companies in Peru:

Cabalgatas - Lurin Valley and Pachacamac, and Arequipa
http://www.cabalgatas.com.pe/

Equitours - Tours through the Sacred Valley of the Incas
http://www.ridingtours.com/horseback_riding_destinations/Peru.cfm

Lima Paragliding

The Costa Verde of Lima offers a great “jumping off” point for adventurous travelers in search of a new kind of thrill. Several reputable and experienced paragliding schools work out of the launch pad in Miraflores Parque Raymondi, just next to the Parque del Amor. There, one can find a jumper to take part in an impromptu tandem jump (US$40) or arrange to attend a multi-day paragliding school (costing around US$450 for 5 days). Paragliding in Lima offers a stunning birds-eye view of the luscious coastal parks of the city, as well as the urban sprawl of the growing capital. Nevertheless, keep in mind that a dense fog settles over Lima from May to October, and although the thrill remains unequaled, the view from above can be a little less than ideal during these months. Companies in the area are listed as follows:

Peru Fly - www.perufly.com

Extreme Sports Café - http://www.extremesportscafe.com/paragliding_peru.html

AeroXtreme-  http://www.aeroxtreme.com/ingles/index.php