Travelling the world opens up the possibility at trying your hand at very exciting and often extreme sports and activities. One such increasingly popular sport is sand boarding. I experienced sand boarding in Peru.

You can experience the exhilarating sport of sandboarding in many locations through out the world but there are some of the most challenging and spectacular dunes in South America.

The sport is more popular than many people imagine with The Dune Riders International World Tour of Sandboard coming to town in the form of the Sudamerican Sandboard Cup. The cup was first held in 2000 in Peru and has attracted boarders from all over the world.

If you’re travelling in Chile you can find beautiful sandboarding dunes in San Pedro de Atacama. Another annual sandboarding competition is held further south in Cerro Iman. The location benefits from having multiple downhill routes with superb dunes and uphills allowing the boarder the chance to grab some “air”.

In the South of Peru is the notorious sandboarding spot, Cerro Blanco. Be warned these dunes are so gut wrenchingly steep that only the most experienced, brave and fearless (or perhaps stupid) boarders are advised to take on their challenge.

If you’re not an experienced sandboarder, don’t worry. There is a perfect spot just outside of Ica, Peru in the small town of Huacachina . Thrill-seekers can experience the head rush of throwing themselves head first down huge endless dunes with an beautiful scenic backdrop.

Even if sandboarding doesn’t seem like your thing, in  Huacachina you can opt for the rollercoaster ride that is on offer in the form of dune buggies. These buggies are fitted with much needed roll cages and they drive all over the dunes at speed guaranteeing the customer a hair raising experience.

Thankfully they do usually take a break to watch the picturesque sunset over the dunes before speeding back down over the dunes to Huacachina.