Don’t Miss Paracas National Reserve

The desert peninsula, cold surf, and rocky islands of Paracas National Reserve are marked by a spare natural beauty and populated by surprising wildlife, earning it a spot on most travelers’ itineraries.

To reach the reserve, you can take a 3-4 hour bus trip from Lima to Pisco and then take a S/2 bus from the main market to El Chaco waterfront (the buses are marked El Chaco – Paracas). From the port, it’s easy to arrange a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands.

If you only visit the islands, the excursion will take around two hours. Much of this is spent on the trip to and from, but it is a scenic one. Along the way, you’ll see the mysterious Candelabra, a giant hillside geoglyph whose meaning has yet to be discovered. Some theorize that it may have been a beacon for sailors, while others try to draw a connection between it and the Nazca Lines.

The cacophonous barking of teeming sea lion and Humboldt penguin colonies make this the noisiest excursion that you’re likely to embark on while visiting Peru. The multitude of birds, which include the blue-footed booby and the guano bird, adds to the noise as well, creating an effect that’s been described as a 360° wall of sound. Disembarking on the islands is not permitted for the protection of the penguins, but the boats can get very close. In addition, the friendlier sea lions often approach the boats themselves! You should keep an eye out for dolphins and sea turtles as well.

If you’d like to explore the reserve in its entirety, 2/3 of which is sea and 1/3 of which is coastal desert, you should arrange for a tour, as there’s no public transportation and you really do need a specialist in order to notice most of what is unique about the area’s ecosystems and migratory wildlife. Tours of the full reserve last several hours, leave from Chaco port as well, and travel by bus. The stark but beautiful landscape offers panoramic views of the desert, forest, a series of distinct beaches, and the ocean. This is a great excursion for birdwatchers due to the thousands of local and migratory bird species along the beaches.

Tours include stops at the reserve’s site museum and at Lagunillas beach for lunch. The small fishing boats that dominate the view here bring in fresh seafood every day to the small restaurants. Fresh and exciting seafood dishes are available at comparatively low prices. Eaten on the beach, and washed down with a cooling pisco sour or two, it can’t be beat. If seafood isn’t your preference, I’m afraid that you aren’t likely to find other options here.

You won’t have any problems if you decide to spend the night in the town of Paracas rather than continuing on by bus: lodging at different price points, internet services, ATMs, laundries, clinics, food and handicraft markets, and any other amenities that a traveler might need are easily available. As for entertainment, you can rent bicycles or ATVs, or sign up for a sandbuggy and sandboarding trip.

As an aside, Paracas Bay is significant for Peruvians because this is the spot where José de San Martín disembarked with liberating forces to unleash his campaign for independence from Spanish rule. Some of the beaches, especially Sequion beach, are home to flamingos (parihuanas) whose red and white plumage inspired San Martín for the colors of the Peruvian flag.