Pristine Paracas National Reserve & the Ballestas Island Penguins
Paracas National Reserve is alluring for travelers not just for the famous penguin and sea lion colonies on its islands, but for the pristine virginity of the coastal landscape. The reserve comprises both land and sea, but whether you opt to visit to the Ballestas Islands or to explore the land part of Paracas reserve, or both, your excursion will begin at the palm-studded Chaco Port.
It’s easy to visit the Ballestas Islands from the port, as motorboats depart throughout the day. It takes 30 minutes to reach the islands. 
With the breezes and cold water spray, this can get quite chilly- for a trip to Paracas National Reserve, you’ll want a windbreaker as well as all the requisite sun protection. Along the way, you pass the large, hillside El Candalabro geoglyph, which some believe to be a beacon for mariners and others believe to be a marker pointing to the Nazca Lines.
You might just hear the islands before you see them, as the barking fur seals and sea lions and the cawing of thousands of migratory seabirds make an astounding amount of noise. As the Ballestas Islands come into view, you’ll see why they were named for archers’ bows: erosion has worn away parts of these rocky outcrops to form intricate arches, tunnels and caves.
The Ballestas Islands are a protected area; boats can come near enough to the islands to observe its boisterous colonies up close, but you cannot actually disembark on the islands. It’s a lively scene, however, and boats stay around the islands for about an hour to allow passengers to soak it all in.
The seabirds that nest among the islands include Peruvian blue-footed boobies, cormorants, pelicans, and flamingos. The most famous birds on the islands, however, are the ones that never take flight: the Humboldt penguins. They might seem a little out of place off-shore from a desert, but the cold-water Humboldt current flows through these waters, cooling the temperature and filling the sea with fish and other marine creatures perfect for tempting a hungry penguin. The penguins are shyer than the boisterous sea lions, so the former are far less likely to approach you or the boat. You’ll be able to observe how they dive and interact, however.
There aren’t many whales in the area, especially compared to the beaches around Máncora, but if it’s the correct season you might spot a whale or some dolphins as well.
You are not recommended to attempt to explore the land part of Paracas National Reserve by yourself. It is better to arrange a tour; these also leave from Chaco Port, and travel by bus. Tours usually take about three hours, during which time you’ll pass desert dunes, rock formations, and cliffs, stopping at strategic lookouts that will allow you to take in stunning vistas. You’ll visit very different beaches that provide refuge to thousands of bird species, with a longer stop at Lagunillas beach for lunch, where you can enjoy fresh seafood while observing the fishermen at their work.
Since both excursions take only a few hours, most people combine the two, choosing a tour of Paracas that includes the Ballestas Islands and making a whole day-trip out of it. For assistance planning a visit to Paracas, which can depart from nearby Lima, contact us at pirwatravel@gmail.com.