Apurímac River

The Apurímac is a river in Peru.

It starts in the cold mountains. Melted ice from the peaks makes the water.

The river flows through deep, narrow rocks. It has many falls and fast rapids.

Long ago, the Inca built a bridge here. People still build a bridge every year.

This river is part of the big Amazon River. It is a very special place.

The Apurímac River is in Peru. It starts in the Mismi mountains.

Ice melts from the mountain peaks. This water starts the river. Some say this is the farthest source of the Amazon River. The river flows past Cusco. It moves through deep, narrow gaps in the rocks. These gaps are called gorges. Some are 3,200 feet deep. That is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The water moves over fast rapids and falls.

Long ago, the Inca built a bridge here. This was in the 13th century. It helped people reach the west. One bridge is called Queshuachaca. People put it back together every year.

The river changes names as it flows. It joins the Mantaro River to become the Ene River. Later, it joins the Perené River. Then it becomes the Tambo River. Finally, it joins the Urubamba River. At that point, it is called the Ucayali River. The Ucayali is a main part of the Amazon River.

The Apurímac River is a very special river in Peru. Its name comes from Quechua words. It means "the chief oracle." This river is very important to the Amazon River. Many people believe it is the farthest source of the Amazon. It starts high up in the Mismi mountains. The water comes from melting ice on the mountain ridge.

The river follows a long and wild path. It flows northwest and passes by the city of Cusco. The water moves through narrow gaps called gorges. These gaps are very deep. Some reach 3,200 feet down. That is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. The river also has many fast rapids and waterfalls.

Long ago, the Inca people built a bridge here. They built it in the 13th century. This bridge helped them travel to the west. One bridge is called Queshuachaca. People still reassemble this bridge every year. This bridge was even used as an idea for a famous book. The book is called The Bridge of San Luis Rey. It was written in 1927.

The river changes its name many times. First, it joins the Mantaro River. Then it becomes the Ene River. After that, it joins the Perené River. Now it is called the Tambo River. Next, it joins the Urubamba River. At that point, it becomes the Ucayali River. The Ucayali is the main part of the Amazon.

Traveling this river is a very hard job. People have tried to travel the full length six times. Only two of those trips were successful. The river is a huge part of the land. It flows through the Arequipa and Cusco areas. The total length of the river system is 1,450 miles. It is a grand part of the natural world.

The Apurímac River is a vital waterway in the country of Peru. Its name comes from the Quechua words "apu," meaning chief, and "rimaq," meaning the one who speaks or an oracle. Together, the name translates to "the chief oracle." This river is famous because it is considered the most distant source of the Amazon River. It begins high in the mountains and flows through a very rugged landscape.

The river starts from glacial meltwater on a mountain ridge. This ridge is part of the Mismi mountain in the Arequipa Province. The Mismi is located in the south-western mountain ranges of Peru. The water rises near the village of Caylloma. From this high starting point, the river is actually quite close to the Pacific coast. The water travels from these cold glaciers down toward the lowlands.

As the river flows, it follows a path toward the northwest. It passes near the city of Cusco. The river moves through narrow, steep-sided valleys called gorges. These gorges can reach depths of up to 3,200 feet. This depth is almost twice as deep as the Grand Canyon in the United States. The river's journey is not smooth. Its course is often interrupted by many waterfalls and fast rapids.

The river undergoes several name changes as it joins other streams. First, the Apurímac joins the Mantaro River. At this point, it becomes the Ene River. Later, the Ene joins the Perené River at an elevation of 1,000 feet above sea level. After this junction, the water is called the Tambo River. Finally, the Tambo joins the Urubamba River at 400 feet above sea level. At this stage, the river becomes the Ucayali River. The Ucayali is the main headstream of the Amazon River.

Sometimes, scientists and explorers look at the whole system as one long river. They call the entire stretch from the Mismi source to the Ucayali junction the "Apurímac." This total system has a length of 1,450 miles. Because the terrain is so difficult, traveling the full length is a massive challenge. So far, there have been six attempts to travel the entire length of the Apurímac. Only two of those attempts have been successful.

Human history is closely tied to this river. In the 13th century, the Inca people built a bridge over the water. This bridge was very important because it gave them access to the west. One specific bridge is known as Queshuachaca. This bridge is unique because it is reassembled on an annual basis. History shows the bridge was quite durable. It was built around 1350 and was still in use in 1864. By 1890, it was described as dilapidated but still hanging.

The river has even influenced famous literature. The bridge built by the Inca served as the basis for a book. This book is titled "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." It was written by Thornton Wilder in 1927. The river remains a major part of the geography in the departments of Cusco and Apurímac. It connects the high Andes mountains to the massive Amazon system.