Following an intensive day of dune buggy racing and sand boarding in the desert of Huacachina last weekend, I returned to my home base of Paracas. Situated on the coast of the Pacific ocean, Paracas is a weekend escape from the dreary and cloudy winter of Lima, offering sun almost 365 days a year. I was fortunate to stay at the Hotel Paracas, which has one of the top three hotel pools in Peru, and it also offered kayaking, catamarans and boogie boarding as activities at the resort.
Paracas is also the base for exploring the Islas Ballestas (Ballestas Islands). Composed largely of rock formations, these islands are an important sanctuary for marine fauna like the guanay guano bird, the blue-footed booby and the tendril. Other notable species include Humboldt Penguins and two varieties of seals (fur seals and sea lions), amongst other mammals.
The tour of the islands via high-speed boat lasted about two hours, giving me plenty more time to spend the rest of the day at the amazing hotel pool! On the way to the islands, on the Paracas Peninsula, the boat passed El Candelabro, a large-scale Geoglyph that may have served as a beacon to mariners. The mystery as to the origins of this particular Geoglyph is ongoing with much speculation. A visit to these island is, from an ecotourism point of view, probably the best known along the Peruvian coast.
To see more pictures from this fun excursion from Lima, click here.
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