Every Peru adventure should include a visit to the Piuray Outdoor Center. Situated on the shores of the picturesque Lake Piuray 45 minutes from Cusco, the Piuray Outdoor Center is like a “choose your own adventure” experience. The center is equipped with everything you could need for a day of land- and water-based adventure sport, Andean culinary activities, and immersive cultural experiences, not to mention it’s a dream location to pitch a tent for the night. So, what adventures does the Piuray Outdoor Center deliver specifically? Read on.
Water and Land Adventures
Take your pick from kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding the vast and mirror-like lake, find your zen with a SUP yoga session, or stay on land and explore the area’s trails via two wheels or on foot. The nearby forests and farmland are notorious for their breadth of birdlife, meaning birdwatching is yet another activity to add to the list. Try one or try a few. That’s what being in the scenic setting of Lake Piuray is for. Oh, and did we mention you can arrange to spend the night in a tent too?
Food and Gastronomy Activities
After having built up an appetite on and around the lake, sink in to the Piuray Outdoor Center’s other claim to fame – its culinary activities. Sit down for a picnic of freshly prepared oven-roasted chicken, smoked trout, potatoes plucked from the farm nearby, and countless other tasty local dishes and ingredients served buffet style. Or, go for something a bit more traditional by choosing the Pachamanca for your meal-time experience. The Pachamanca is an age-old Andean culinary tradition that takes a variety of ingredients and cooks them underground on hot stones. Though it takes hours to prepare and cook, the Pachamanca is well worth the wait as the resulting flavor is melt-in-your-mouth good.
Immersive Cultural Experiences
While the spread of Andean cuisine certainly gives you a taste of local culture and the assortment of outdoor adventures won’t fail to connect you to the breathtaking nature of Lake Piuray, the true immersion takes place with one of the Piuray Outdoor Center’s cultural experiences. They offer experiences that take you into the lakeside community to learn how the locals weave their textiles, craft the adobe bricks they use for their homes, and farm the agricultural fields and terraces that supply their food. It’s as immersive as it gets, with local comuneros themselves guiding you through their daily life and traditions.
Complement your Peru adventure with a visit to the Piuray Outdoor Center
Whether your Peru vacation takes you to Cusco or the Sacred Valley, the Piuray Outdoor Center is perfectly situated for a quick day trip from either spot and it offers a nice change of pace from the other more taxing Peru treks and tours you’ve added to your Peru travel itinerary. As we say, Lake Piuray is like an oasis in the Andes and the Piuray Outdoor Center makes sure you have everything you need to experience its every wonder.