Peru is an amazing country with varied, exciting and amazing history and nature. I visited many parts of Peru but I was very excited to go to see the Galapagos of Peru – Paracas! I was going to Galapagos and realized didn’t have the budget for it. It was too much to pay for me. So I opted in for Paracas.
The Main Reason to Visit Paracas Is to Go and See the Islands That Are about 30 Mins Away by Boat.
In a nutsell, if you don’t have the money to go to Galapagos islands, I think Paracas is a great choice. I was quite surprised how many animals you were able to see (Even though they stank).
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Lima to Paracas
I have taken the Peru/ Bolivia Hop from La Paz to Puno Peru which was the best transportation/ tour company I have taken. This is the same company that also goes to Lima -> Paracas -> Huacachina. The company has made it so easy for from backpackers to family trips. I highly recommend using Peru Hop if you are planning to go to Paracas.
It leaves early in the morning, so you shouldn’t be partying too much in Lima 🙂
Islas Ballestas Peru
Islas Ballestas is the island where you will see many animals. Because Peru Hop arrives early in the morning, you will be able to get the boat to the islands on the same day.
When you wake up early and head for the boat and join the line of people waiting on the dock you have no idea of what to expect and the excitement to come. Jumping in the boat and wrapping the life jacket on there is a lot of chatter and excitement.
The boat starts through the crystal blue sea and passes some beautiful scenery with amazing colors formed by the different types of rock formation. You pass an amazing huge carving called the chandelier that dates back to 850 AD that in its own right was worth the journey.
After a little choppy open sea you start to see some amazing wildlife playing in the open sea. Everything from seals, dolphins, flying fish and hundreds of sea birds. There is so much to sea and watch and enjoy. You never know where to look because you didn’t want to miss a single thing!!! Small baby seals playing in the water next to the boat was a highlight but also the soaring buzzards and vultures searching the skies and shoreline for food.
The boat went through a small cavern and unfortunately a seal had died and the vultures had found it. It was still an amazing natural sight to see the vultures eating the dead seals. It was like a natural history documentary. I am sorry that I got excited, but I have never seen anything like this before (except at the zoo). And I could only imagine how amazing it would be in Galapagos Islands.
National Reserve Paracas
National Reserve Paracas was a good place to visit before we left for Huacachina. It is a huge national reserve. We went with Peru Hop and literally just skimped through the national reserve. It was a good place for people who like to take pictures, but because of the time constraint we had with Peru Hop we couldn’t do much. You can see the pictures below.
Where to Eat in Paracas
Fruzion
we were hugry like the vultures soaring above and so headed to the best place for lunch, Fruzion. A small juice bar with great food, coffee and drinks. I actually was surprised how good it was in a small town. It was a great way to finish this part of the day with beef burger and the chicken. Almost everybody who were on the boat were all eating there.
Misk’I
There are only a few places to go for dinner but the place we chose with a small outdoor seating area one bl;ck from the beach had excellent food and drinks. There wasn’t much seafood on the menu which was a surprise being so close to the sea but the meat options were good with great steaks, chicken and tacos. Also the pizza looked amazing with many locals taking a large pizza home for dinner.
Hotel Paracas Peru
The hostel we stayed, Hotel Residencial Los Frayles, was excellent value for money. This is where Peru Hop actually offered to stay. We just stayed for the convenience, but some of the travelers on the bus also recommended Bamboo Paracas for Backpackers, and Luxury Collection in Paracas (which is part of SPG).
I only wished if I stayed a little longer here.