Challenge of the sands
Sliding face-down on a board along the great sand dunes is the unique pleasure offered by sandboarding, an adventure sport that has spread to several departments in Peru. The sport began in Ica, before spreading to Nazca, in Cerro Blanco (2,078 masl), the highest dune in the world, which is just for experts.
In many desert zones on the Peruvian coast, there are dunes in which sandboarding can be enjoyed, including Sarapampa (Lima), Camaná (Arequipa) and Acarí (Arequipa), with the second highest dune in the world (2,068 masl).
Boarding styles have been almost entirely copied from snowboarding techniques and include slalom (zigzagging between poles), boarder cross (a competition across on obstacle course between 2 or more riders), slopestyle (tricks and movements using rails and ramps) and big air (massive leaps from a ramp).
The equipment consists of a board (a sandboard) with handles for the feet, a helmet, elbow and knee guards and special fall-resistant sand goggles. Comfortable clothing and specialist advice is recommended, and many specialists are linked to the companies that rent out the boards or travel agencies that prioritize adventure sports.
