14:44 | Lunahuana (Lima region), Feb. 22.
Located on the way to Southern Lima region, the Lunahuana Paradise is a great place for adventure seekers.
It is filled with plenty of attractions including extreme sports, open-air activities, and high-quality drinks like pisco.
Lunahuana district is less than three hours' drive south of Peru's capital city, and its jurisdiction belongs to the Cañete province.
Following the various weather events occurred in the country as part of the rainy season, many people think Lunahuana has been affected by the landslides; however, visitors can enjoy open-air activities in a perfectly normal and safe way.
This misinformation has caused visits to fall by up to 60%, affecting the source of employment of thousands of people and local businesses.
The situation worries Mayor Vicente Villalobos who, in his efforts to correct this misperception, attempts to reactivate tourism ahead of Holy Week holidays.
Starting point
The trip can be made either by bus or car. Drive 144 km along Panamericana Sur highway until the entrance of San Vicente de Cañete, take a detour to the left to Imperial district, and then follow the path to Cañete-Yauyos road. The journey covers 184 km.
Lunahuana
Once in the city, we can say circumstances will benefit tourists, since hotels and some extreme sports have reduced their tariffs, precisely to attract more visitors.
The hot weather makes it a pleasant place to enjoy a relaxing time at the pool, and the ever more sophisticated local food is another allure.
Top restaurants' menus include traditional dishes like arroz con pato (rice with duck), seco de cordero con frijoles (beans with stewed lamb) and several guinea pig dishes; the most popular is piscuy (guinea pig soaked in pisco). Other culinary delights include trout dishes with mango/passion fruit sauces.
Open-air activities
The main attraction is definitely the wide range of extreme sports. One of them is canopy, which offers a different experience gliding from one point to another by horizontal cables with the proper equipment.
Other adventurous options include rappel (a controlled descent and ascent of a mountain) mount biking and rafting.
Activities, mainly rafting-related ones, are constantly monitored, paying attention to the river's flow, especially now during the rainy season. Activities might be suspended depending on the conditions.
Tour agencies have adopted their own security measures; every time a raft leaves a lifeboat does the same, being ready to intervene if necessary.
(END) RFA/JCR/RMB/MVB
Published: 2/22/2017