Rafting the Juramento River in Salta

Feeling like getting into the water and enjoying the sun, we set out in the car that Constanza, from Marina Turismo, had lent us heading for the Cabra Corral dam. The people from Salta Rafting were waiting for us there to tour down the Juramento River. We knew that the reservoir dam opened its gates and temporarily increased the volume of the river, which then becomes a grade III water course for the practice of rafting or kayaking.

The bends of the road to Cabra Corral would uncover the colors of the mountain range with its basaltic walls. We crossed the bridge where the most intrepid would run the risk of bungee jumping and, after a few more kilometers, we got to the base.

Our guides were ready to give us some rafting and safety lessons and, after the speech, we divided ourselves into groups. Wearing helmets and life jackets, we got on the bus that took us to the riverside.

The instructors made some final adjustments to the raft and we got on to start our adventure along the Juramento.


As Good As It Gets

It was a fantastic day and the water was more than tempting. We began to paddle quietly. Two hours of fun waited ahead. Two German boys who had already rafted the river the previous day accompanied me along with a Spanish couple and a girl from Córdoba who had traveled to Salta for business and had got away to Cabra Corral to get a little bit disconnected from work.

Diego, our guide, made us practice some of the movements and, as it was such a quiet stretch, he suggested that we had a swim. It was a refreshing idea, as the sunshine was getting hotter on our skins.

The safety kayaks were escorting us and they would get ahead to overcome the rapids. We went after them and got a little wet but without major problems. We continued paddling, waiting for the next surprise the river would give us. As I sat on the bow, I had to make a greater effort, but it was worth being the first one to face the rapids. Diego would throw the commands and we would respond quite well, until we got stuck on a rock in one of the rapids and had to paddle real hard to get out of there. We had a rest farther ahead, as we waited for the other rafts to catch up.

As we advanced along the river course, Diego would show us the various rock formations, some of them with fossil algae, and the condors’ nests hidden in cracks on the walls.

As we were getting to the end of the rapids, we dived again. We had overcome the 10 rapids of the Juramento River. Tired, but happy, we stayed on the shore sharing some juice and alfajores.

Back in the restaurant “La Cresta de la Ola”, the tasty smell of barbecue was already in the air. During lunch, the anecdotes from the tour were part of the meeting. At about three in the afternoon, we were picked up to get to the Dique hotel and continue enjoying everything Cabra Corral offers.