Paracas National Reserve and Ballestas Islands Full-Day Tour

Ballestas Islands: sea lions, penguins and seabirds

The Ballestas Islands are a group of rocky islets off the Paracas Peninsula, shaped by wind and waves into arches, caves and sea tunnels. Nobody is allowed to land, so the wildlife lives almost undisturbed: South American sea lions sleep on the ledges, Humboldt penguins hop along the waterline, and Peruvian boobies, guanay cormorants, pelicans and elegant Inca terns fill the sky. The islands are also famous for guano, the seabird droppings that were once among Peru's most valuable exports, and the old loading platforms still stand on the rocks.

On this Ballestas Islands tour you travel in a shared motorboat with life jackets, and the round trip from El Chaco pier lasts about two hours, with slow passes along the cliffs for photos. Is the Ballestas Islands boat trip worth it? For anyone who loves wildlife it is a true highlight of Peru, often called a small Galápagos.

The Paracas Candelabra geoglyph

On the way to the islands the boat stops in front of the Paracas Candelabra, known in Spanish as El Candelabro. This huge three-armed figure is cut about a metre deep into the hard sand of a hillside facing the bay and stretches for roughly 180 metres from top to bottom. The dry climate and the salty crust of the ground have preserved its lines for centuries, so it is still sharp when seen from the water.

Nobody knows for certain who made it or why. Some link it to the ancient Paracas culture, others see it as a landmark for sailors or a sign related to the cactus of the coast. Your guide explains the main theories while the boat drifts slowly, giving everyone a clear view. The Candelabra can only be properly seen from the sea, so this boat stop is the best way to admire it.

Paracas National Reserve: desert meets ocean

Paracas National Reserve was created in 1975 to protect one of the richest stretches of Peru's coast, where the cold Humboldt Current brings plankton, fish and the birds and sea mammals that feed on them. It covers a large area of desert peninsula and sea, and much of it is marine reserve, which makes it a key refuge for flamingos, dolphins and migrating shorebirds.

The land itself looks like another planet: ochre dunes, wind-carved rock and empty bays where the desert drops straight into the Pacific. The reserve also holds the traces of the Paracas culture, which flourished here more than two thousand years ago and is admired for its finely woven textiles. On the Paracas National Reserve tour you ride in shared transport between viewpoints, with your guide explaining the geology, the wildlife and the history at each stop.

Playa Roja and the cliff viewpoints

The most photographed corner of the reserve is Playa Roja, the Red Beach, where the sand takes a deep reddish colour from fragments of volcanic rock worn down by the waves. Seen from the viewpoint above, the red curve of the beach, the turquoise water and the pale desert make one of the most striking views on the Peruvian coast. Strong currents make it a place to admire rather than swim.

Nearby, high cliff viewpoints look over the ocean and the rock formations along the shore. One famous arch, La Catedral, collapsed during the strong earthquake of 2007, and your guide shows where it once stood. These stops give you time for photos and a short stroll on firm paths. The best light for photography is usually late morning, when the sun brightens the colours of the sand and the sea.

Paracas town and El Chaco bay

Paracas is a small resort town on a calm bay in the Ica region, about 250 kilometres south of Lima. Its seafront, known as El Chaco, is lined with small restaurants, craft stalls and the pier where every Ballestas boat departs. Pelicans often wait by the fishing boats, and the bay is a popular spot for kitesurfing in the windy afternoons.

How to get to Paracas from Lima? Most travellers take a long-distance bus, which takes around three and a half to four hours, and stay one night so they can join the 08:00 start without rushing. The best time to visit Paracas is all year, since it almost never rains; mornings are usually calmer at sea, which is why the boat trip comes first. Summer from December to March brings warm sunshine, while winter mornings can be grey and cool.