Islas Ballestas - The Poor Man's Galapagos

This weekend, my final weekend in Peru before heading back to Buenos Aires, I took a trip south of Lima to Paracas and the Ballestas Islands. Often called "the poor man's Galapagos," the islands are chock full of sea life including penguins, pelicans, hundreds of other species of birds, sea lions, dolphins and much more.

The islands are protected and humans are only allowed to view the wildlife from boats. The trip from Paracas to the islands takes about an hour by high speed boat. On the way, you pass the Paracas Candelabra, a huge 600 foot geoglyph that is carved into the side of the hill and dates back to 200 BC.

According to Wikipedia, the group of three islands has narrow shorelines and cliffs that rise to flan areas that cover an area of 3.2 square kilometers. In the breeding season this is where birds build their nests with their own droppings. These droppings, the famous guano fertilizer, are harvested every 4-7 years.

After a several hour excursion around the islands, the group headed back to Paracas to dine on fresh seafood and explore the small city before heading to Chincha for a tour of a local vineyard that makes wine and pisco (Peru's national drink).

For more pictures, click here.