Salta, Argentina Rafting & Canopy

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Are you planning a visit to Salta and Jujuy provinces in Northwest Argentina? This area is known for indigenous villages and dramatic landscapes. There are many sightseeing day trips from Salta that take you to the most scenic parts of the region. Did you know there are also some adventures to get your adrenaline going? I loved my Chile rafting experience so much that I wanted an Argentina rafting adventure too! One of my favorite Salta tours was white water rafting in the Juramento river and zip-lining over the Juramento river.

Salta Rafting

Salta Rafting is a kayak, rafting and canopy (zip-lining) company in Northwest Argentina. They offer adventure tours from their base at the Juramento River Canyon. It is about two hours from Salta. If you have access to a car you can drive yourself, if not they offer a day tour from Salta complete with rafting, lunch, zip-lining and transfers. The drive involves some picturesque views and curvy roads.

White-Water Rafting

After rafting in Chile I couldn’t wait to go again. I was spoiled for the beautiful location in Puerto Varas, Chile. Rafting down the Juramento river offered different scenery, but just as beautiful! For about 2 hours we rafted down the river with class II and class III rapids. Although it wasn’t quite as intense as my first time, it was still thrilling. I can’t decide if I like the intensity of the class IV rapids, or having more breaks in-between the rapids to relax.

In my raft was a family with some members originally from Russia and others from Ukraine. As many of you know I lived abroad in Russia for a year. It is one of the parts of traveling I like best, talking with new people. The father in the family knew the metro stop in Russia that I lived near. It was crazy to reminisce about Russia, while in Argentina rafting down a river! Also we slowly switched to talking in Spanish with our guide. You know it was my 2nd time rafting so I could have the added challenge of the rafting commands in Spanish!

At the very end we were told we could jump out and float our way to the finish point. I immediately jumped out and all my fellow raft-mates waved and laughed at me. The water was freezing, but I made it look like so much fun that they ended up plopping in after me! Towards the finish point we were instructed to swim towards the right bank. As we got closer we could stand and walk. One guy missed that memo and was on the far left and started rapidly getting further and further away from the shore.

My guide was prepared and quickly threw out a rope and pulled him in. He was perfectly safe so I have no qualms in saying I was giggling the whole time!

Once back on land we were taken in a school bus to the base. If you know me I don’t like to be anywhere without something to drink so I was really pleased when they served us juice on the bumpy way back.

Asado

Then it was time to eat lunch with the guides and other tour participants! If you have been to Argentina you know what a big deal steak is in the country. The Argentinean Asado is not just a BBQ, but a big affair full of lots of cuts of meat and sometimes a little salad. During a day tour who wants to eat food from a tourist stop when you can have steak cooked before your eyes and served family style!

Canopy

As you can customize what parts of the day you want to do, I debated whether or not to sign up for the zip-lining, called canopy in South America. I chickened out and didn’t sign up for it. After the asado I was prepared to head back to Salta. That is when I found out that if you don’t do the canopy and want a transfer back to Salta you are stuck! You have to wait around until everyone is back from gliding across the sky. Although the property is scenic and it is a nice place to walk around or relax, I am not very good at sitting around waiting! My rafting guide reassured me that I would be fine, so off I went to see what it was all about!

Out of all the adventures I have done before, it was my first time zip-lining. I’m not really scared of heights so my biggest fear was going down really fast. I was told it was a really fast zip-line.

After gearing up we had a short hike up to the first zip-line. If you have an average level of fitness you will be fine on the walk. Honestly I am kind of glad that someone in our group struggled quite a bit. I’m not happy for her struggle, just happy that we took a few breaks….it was rather steep!

Once at the top we were rewarded with a drink of water. Those little details always make a difference to me and let me know I am in safe hands.

The canopy experience was a lot of fun. It wasn’t as steep or fast as I thought it would be. I don’t have anything to compare it to, except my own imagination though! There are four cables that you go across the river. The last one is the steepest because you end up back at the base. The longest is 600 meters. After the first one when I knew what to expect and was confident I wasn’t going to fall into the river below, I was actually able to enjoy the view and feel like I was flying!

I took several day tours from Salta, but this was one of my favorite Salta tours because it combined seeing the area with active adventures. Would you include it on your Salta, Argentina itinerary? 

Salta, Argentina Rafting & Canopy Information

Booking

Full day Salta Rafting & Canopy with the asado and transfers to/from Salta

Toilets

It is about a two hour drive from the office. You can ask to use the toilet at the office. There aren’t any stops on the way. At the base there are toilet and shower facilities.

Safety

The guides gave us a safety briefing before we headed out and it was clear they knew what they were doing. Regardless it is always better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you have travel insurance that covers activities like this and all the other parts of your trip.

What to Wear

Rafting: Salta Rafting provides all the clothing and equipment. You only need to wear a swimsuit under the wet suit. Make sure to bring a towel and a change of clothes for afterwards.

Zip-lining: Wear shoes that you feel comfortable in walking uphill on a gravel path. It’s not a crazy hike, but it enough that I would want more than sandals. Workout clothes will probably feel the best in the harness. The company provides the harness equipment and gloves.

*For both you can wear a hat under your helmet for sun protection. They offer string to tie on glasses too.

Where to Stay in Salta

The city of Salta is a great place to stay. There are a lot of things to do in Salta and great tours from Salta to anywhere you want to go in Northwest Argentina. Stay anywhere in the central area of Salta within five or so blocks of the main plaza (Plaza 9 de Julio).

Booking.com

More Things to Do Around Salta

• Cachi: A small town in the Salta province that is known for it’s beautiful surroundings.
• Cafayate: The town of Cafayate and the surrounding area is one of Argentina’s main regions for wine production.
• Rainforest Hiking: Hike through the rainforest near Salta. Enjoy the landscapes around Salta while staying active.
• Salinas Grandes: The highlight of this trip is visiting the salt flats. You also drive through the Quebrada de Humahuaca and visit the village of Purmamarca. Read my full post for more information about this day tour.
• Humahuaca: This tour is similar to the Salinas Grandes tour described above. The main difference is that it does not go to the salt flats and instead visits additional towns in the Quebrada de Humahuaca.

More About Argentina

• Argentina: What to Know Before Visiting
• Buenos Aires: Where to Stay
• Buenos Aires: Tango – where to dance Tango and where to watch Tango
• Buenos Aires: Fútbol – how to get tickets to a Boca Juniors game
• Buenos Aires: Steak – the best places to eat steak in the Palermo neighborhood
• Buenos Aires: Restaurants – where to eat in Palermo
• Buenos Aires: MALBA – The Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires
• Buenos Aires: Evita Museum – museum dedicate to the life of Eva Perón
• Buenos Aires: Medical Care – where to go in Buenos Aires for medical care (plus pharmacies!)
• Tigre: A Day Trip from Buenos Aires
• Salta: What to Do in Salta
• Salta Day Trips: Salinas Grandes and la Quebrada de Humahuaca, Cachi

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