A popular coastal town, just four hours south of Lima, Paracas is a great base for exploring the Ballestas Islands within the Paracas National Park, Ica, the Huacachina oasis, and the Nazca Lines, slightly further south. These Paracas highlights have a warm climate, sunshine most of the year, and beautiful beach-side Paracas hotels. It’s a great place to relax for a few days, especially at the end of an action-packed adventure through Peru.

Paracas National Reserve

Paracas National Reserve is brimming with wildlife and stunning geographical features. Where arid sandy desert dunes meet the Pacific Ocean, the park features miles of coastal desert, hidden bays with quiet beaches, and beautiful salt lakes home to flamingos and other wildlife. One of the main Paracas highlights is the Ballestas Islands, just off the mainland.

An important sanctuary for marine wildlife, the islands are home to thousands of birds, including the guanay guano bird, blue-footed booby, and the Humboldt penguin. It’s also an important colony for two species of seal. While you can’t step foot on the islands, a boat tour circles around the rocky formations and arches, bringing visitors close enough to see the incredible wildlife up close, great for taking photos.

Other Paracas highlights include nearby Ica. In stark contrast to the arid desert, this fertile valley is Peru’s wine and pisco growing region. There are some beautiful vineyards where you can enjoy a tour, relaxing lunch in the garden, and of course, sample the wine or pisco.

Ica is also home to Huacachina, a beautiful oasis in the middle of the desert. You can enjoy a popular travel destination tour of the dunes in a sand buggy, with a stop to pump some adrenaline, sandboarding down the high dunes. For a bit of history thrown into the mix, Peru’s famous Nazca Lines, the mysterious geoglyphs etched into the desert, is nearby. Overflight tours are available from airports in Nazca, Ica, and Pisco, all easily reached from Paracas.

Visit Paracas with Good Life Expeditions

If you’d like to include some of these Paracas highlights as part of your trip to Peru, the travel team at Good Life Expeditions are ready to help with all the planning and logistics. Contact us to start planning your memorable trip to Peru.