From the Ballestas Islands, often referred to as the “Galápagos of Peru,” remarkable landscapes of the vast Paracas National Reserve, Paracas, near Pisco on the coast of southern Peru, is full of wildlife and opportunities for outdoor adventures.
You can get to Paracas from Lima easily using the Peru Hop bus network, either making it a day trip or stopping off as you travel between Lima and Cusco.
Here are the best things to do in Paracas for breath-taking views and unforgettable experiences.
Visit the Paracas National Reserve
The Paracas National Reserve is a protected area of more than 3,350 square kilometres which includes desert, ocean and islands. It is home to wildlife including sea lions, dolphins and migratory birds.
To enter you must have a local guide, transport and pay an entrance fee (around $5 USD). Tours with local operators will allow you to explore the beaches, cliffs and sand dunes in the reserve on a bus, quad bike or buggy.
I recall seeing photos of the famous cathedral rock formation which was the symbol of the Paracas National Reserve. Created by wind and water erosion, this sadly this collapsed in an earthquake and tsumani in 2007 and now this 28 to 40 million year old rock forms something more like a pyramid.
Golden Shadows Trek
One way to visit the Paracas National Reserve is to take a Golden Shadows Trek at night. We drove an hour into the reserve before climbing the sand dunes for around 90 minutes, learning about the area from a guide along the way as the sun set. The setting sun casts golden shadows on figures in photographs giving the name of this tour.
Be sure to take plenty of warm clothes on the Golden Shadows trek- we were collected from our accommodation in the heat of the afternoon but quickly realised there are strong winds in the Paracas National Reserve and that it gets very cold when the sun goes down. We were all very keen to warm up over pizza and cocktails at Waiki Pizza Bar at the end of our tour.
On our drive back to Paracas we stopped to view the stars which were bright and clear without the light pollution we’re used to in cities.
Visit the Peruvian Galápagos
Paracas is the gateway to the what is known as the Peruvian Galápagos – the Ballestas Islands. Boats leave every few hours from the port, where you can apparently negotiate with the operators on pricing (usually $20-$30 per person).
Our group booked this Ballestas Islands tour online. It took around 30 minutes to reach the islands and where our guide provided commentary on the flora and fauna from the boat.
The Ballestas Islands are protected to preserve the marine life so you can’t walk on them or swim in the water here, but the boats get very close.
In late July we saw penguins, sea lions and a huge variety of birds including pelicans and Inca Tern among the rock formations. We were also lucky enough to see a number of dolphins.
From our boat we were also able to view the Paracas Candelabra geoglyph, a huge hillside etching on the Paracas Peninsula of mysterious origins.
Take a day trip from Paracas
See the Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are huge geoglyphs etched in the Nazca Desert. You can take a flight over the figures which include plants, geometric patterns and animals for the best views. There is also a viewing platform on the side of the road if you’re driving on between Huacachina and Arequipa.
Visit a Pisco vineyard
Pisco is Peru’s national drink. We visited Pisco Nietto which was very busy and had a restaurant and entertainment as well as pisco tasting presentations. It felt like a tourist trap and I’d have liked to have visited a much smaller, family run pisco vineyard as well.
Go sandboarding and dune buggy riding in Huacachina
Paracas is only 75km from Huacachina. You can take a day trip from Paracas to go sandboarding and dune buggy riding in the Huacachina Desert, a highlight of my time in Peru.
Where to stay in Paracas
- I stayed at Hotel Residential Los Frayles which had a pool I wish I’d had time to just lie beside and an excellent buffet breakfast.
- Viajero Kokopelli Paracas Hostel is a higher-end hostel for those wanting to stay somewhere more social.
