Paracas, the Ballestas Islands and Huacachina: How to Visit From Lima
Paracas, the Ballestas Islands and the Huacachina oasis are the classic trip south of Lima, and they fit in one long day or, more comfortably, with a night on the coast. Paracas is about 250 km south of Lima, roughly 3.5 to 4 hours by road on the Pan-American Highway. The Ballestas Islands boat tour leaves from El Chaco pier in the morning and lasts about two hours, with sea lions, Humboldt penguins, thousands of seabirds and the Candelabra geoglyph. Huacachina, a lagoon ringed by palm trees and giant dunes next to the city of Ica, is about an hour further, and its dune buggies and sandboarding are best in the late afternoon. Do it before you fly to Cusco: it is at sea level and gives your body a gentle start.
Paracas, Ballestas and Huacachina at a glance
| Paracas and the Ballestas Islands | Huacachina (Ica) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Seaside town and protected marine coast; boat tour around rocky guano islands | Natural lagoon and oasis surrounded by sand dunes, on the edge of Ica |
| Distance from Lima | About 250 km, 3.5 to 4 hours by road | About 300 km, 4.5 to 5 hours by road; about 1 hour from Paracas |
| Main activity | Boat tour of about 2 hours (no landing on the islands) | Dune buggy ride and sandboarding, sunset from the dunes |
| Best time of day | Morning, when the sea is usually calmer | Late afternoon, for softer heat and the sunset |
| Also nearby | Paracas National Reserve: desert, cliffs and red beach | Pisco wineries (bodegas), Ica's chocolate shops and sweets |
| How long | Half a day | Half a day; one night to enjoy it calmly |
Where they are and how the day fits together
Paracas and Huacachina are both in the Ica region, on the desert coast south of Lima. The order of the day almost always follows the geography and the weather: Paracas first, because the boats to the Ballestas Islands go out in the morning, when the wind and the swell are lowest, and Huacachina last, because the dunes are scorching at midday and glow at sunset.
In between, most tours stop in Ica to visit a pisco winery (in Peru they are called bodegas) and a shop selling the region's sweets. That is exactly the shape of the Paracas day in our 9-day Peru package and our Peru and Bolivia tour.
For more on the region, see our page on Ica, and for the capital, our page on Lima.
How to get from Lima to Paracas
By tourist transport or organized tour. The easiest option: you are picked up at your hotel in Lima very early, usually around 5:00 am, so you reach Paracas in time for the morning boats. This is what our packages include, with breakfast, a box lunch, the boat, the winery stop and Huacachina.
By intercity bus. Several bus companies run comfortable buses from Lima to Paracas and Ica, with reclining seats. You then need local transport to the pier and to Huacachina, and you have to book the boat and the buggies yourself. It works well if you plan to sleep in Paracas or Huacachina.
By car. The Pan-American Highway South is a good road, but leaving Lima can take an hour or more in traffic. If you drive, leave before dawn.
Whatever the option, the road is long. Expect a 14 to 15 hour day if you go and come back from Lima in one day.
The Ballestas Islands boat tour
The boats leave from El Chaco pier in Paracas. They are open motorboats with life jackets for everyone, and the tour takes about two hours in total. The islands are about 30 to 40 minutes offshore; the boats circle them slowly and then return. Nobody lands on the islands: they are a protected area, part of Peru's reserve of guano islands, islets and points managed by SERNANP, and the wildlife is watched from the water.
What you see: colonies of South American sea lions lounging on the rocks and swimming around the boat; Humboldt penguins, a vulnerable species, standing on the lower ledges; and enormous numbers of seabirds, among them Peruvian boobies, guanay cormorants and Peruvian pelicans. Their droppings, the guano, were once so valuable as fertilizer that they financed much of 19th-century Peru, and you will see the old loading structures still standing.
On the way out the boats pass the Candelabra (El Candelabro), a giant figure dug into a sandy hillside on the Paracas peninsula, visible only from the sea. Its age and meaning are still debated.
Our tips for the boat
- Take the earliest boat you can. The sea is calmer and the light better in the morning.
- Sit on the side facing the islands, and keep your camera on a strap. A zoom of 100–300 mm makes a big difference for the penguins.
- Wear a hat. With so many birds overhead, it is not just for the sun.
- Bring a windbreaker. Even on a hot day the wind on the open sea is cool.
- Seasickness: the ride is usually smooth, but if you are sensitive, take your tablet before boarding and look at the horizon.
- Cancellations: the port authority can suspend boat departures when the sea is rough. When that happens, the tour usually replaces the boat with the Paracas National Reserve or reschedules; have a plan B in mind.
The Paracas National Reserve
Next to the town, the Paracas National Reserve protects a huge stretch of desert, cliffs and sea, recognized as a wetland of international importance. Its landscapes are completely different from the islands: wind-sculpted cliffs, empty bays, a beach of red sand and lookouts over the Pacific where flamingos sometimes feed in the shallow bay in season.
The most famous rock formation, La Catedral, an arch on the cliffs, collapsed in the 2007 earthquake; what remains is still a striking viewpoint. The Julio C. Tello Site Museum tells the story of the Paracas culture, famous for its extraordinary textiles and burial bundles, which flourished on this peninsula more than 2,000 years ago.
The reserve takes about 2 to 3 hours by vehicle. In a single day trip from Lima there is rarely time for both the reserve and Huacachina; with a night in Paracas, you can do the islands in the morning and the reserve after lunch.
Ica: pisco wineries and sweets
Between Paracas and Huacachina lies Ica, the heart of Peru's wine and pisco country. The valley's warm, dry climate is ideal for grapes, and dozens of bodegas, from family producers to historic estates, show the process: the old treading floors (lagares), the copper stills and the clay jars (botijas) in which pisco used to be stored. A tasting is part of every visit; be prepared, pisco is strong.
Ica is also known for its sweets: chocotejas (filled chocolates), tejas, alfajores and pecans. On our programs we visit the Nietto winery and the Noelia chocolate shop. If you have more time, try a carapulcra con sopa seca, the region's classic dish.
Huacachina: the oasis in the dunes
Huacachina is a small green lagoon surrounded by palm trees, a promenade and a few hotels, enclosed on every side by sand dunes that are among the tallest in South America. It is only a few minutes from the city of Ica, but once you are in the dunes you feel in the middle of a desert.
You can walk around the lagoon in 15 minutes, climb the nearest dune on foot for the view (harder than it looks: it is like climbing stairs of sand), or do what most people come for: the buggy and sandboarding tour.
Legend says the lagoon was formed by the tears of a princess, and the mermaid statue on the shore is her. The reality is less romantic: the water level has been kept up artificially for years, because the natural spring dried up as the Ica valley's groundwater was used for farming.
Dune buggies and sandboarding
The buggies are large open vehicles with roll cages and seat belts, for about 6 to 10 passengers. The ride is part roller coaster: steep climbs, sudden drops and fast runs along the crests. Between runs, the driver stops at the top of the dunes for sandboarding.
Sandboarding is easier than it looks, because most people go down lying on their stomach, head first, holding the board. It is fast and fun, and the sand is soft. Experienced snowboarders can try standing up, but the boards have no proper bindings and the sand is slow, so it is harder than snow.
The tour lasts about 1.5 to 2 hours and usually ends on a high dune for the sunset, the best moment of the day.
Safety tips for the dunes
- Check the buggy before you get in: seat belts that work, a solid roll cage and a driver who does not drink. Choose an established operator rather than the cheapest offer on the promenade.
- Wear your seat belt the whole time and hold on: the drops are steep.
- Sandboarding: keep your elbows in, your feet up and your mouth closed. Brake with the tips of your shoes if you go too fast.
- Not recommended if you are pregnant, have back or neck problems, or have recently had surgery. Just enjoy the oasis and the sunset.
- Protect your phone and camera from the sand with a zip bag. Sunglasses help a lot.
- Sunscreen and water: even in the late afternoon the reflection on the sand is strong.
Day trip from Lima or one night on the coast?
| Day trip from Lima | One night in Paracas or Huacachina | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | About 5:00 am in Lima | Morning departure, without rush |
| What you see | Ballestas, a winery and Huacachina | Ballestas, the Paracas Reserve, a winery and Huacachina, even the Nazca Lines with an extra day |
| Back in Lima | Late in the evening | The next afternoon or evening |
| Time on the road | About 8 hours in one day | Split over two days |
| Best for | Short trips, travelers who only want the highlights | Travelers with a spare day; families with children |
Our 9-day package does Paracas, Ica and Huacachina as a long full day from Lima, returning to your Lima hotel the same night, with the boat, the winery, the chocolate shop and a visit to the oasis. Our 12-day Peru and Bolivia tour includes the Ballestas boat, the winery and a buggy and sandboarding excursion in Huacachina, before flying to Cusco the next day. The 9-day package costs US$1,286 per person and the 12-day tour US$1,650 per person.
When to go
You can visit all year. Ica is one of the sunniest places in Peru and it almost never rains.
December to March (summer): hot and sunny, beach season in Paracas, more visitors on weekends and holidays. The heat in the dunes at midday is intense, so the late-afternoon buggy is a must.
June to September (winter): Lima is often grey and misty, but Ica and Huacachina are usually sunny, with cool mornings and evenings. The sea at Paracas can be choppier. Bring a warm layer for the boat and the sunset.
Wind: in Paracas the afternoon wind can be strong and sometimes lifts sand. That is one more reason to do the islands in the morning.
Where it fits in a Peru itinerary
Before Cusco, not after. Doing the coast first gives you a day or two at sea level to recover from your flight, before the altitude of Cusco (3,400 m (11,150 ft)). Then fly from Lima to Cusco. That is the order of our 9-day and 12-day programs, and it fits the advice in our guide to altitude sickness in Cusco.
Keep a buffer before your flight to Cusco. A day trip from Lima ends late, so book your Cusco flight for the next day, not the same night.
If you have only a week, the coast is the first thing to cut: see our 7-day Peru itinerary, which focuses on Lima, Cusco and Machu Picchu. With 9 days or more, Paracas and Huacachina add a completely different landscape: ocean, wildlife and desert, the perfect contrast to the Andes.
Adding the Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are about 2.5 hours by road south of Ica. They are seen properly only from the air, on light aircraft flights of about half an hour, or partially from the roadside viewing tower. It is possible to add them with an extra night in Ica or Nazca, but not in the same day as Paracas and Huacachina from Lima. The small planes bank sharply so that both sides see the figures, which can be hard on the stomach.
What to bring for the day
- Passport (hotels and some tickets ask for it) and cash in soles for small fees, tips and snacks.
- Sunglasses, a hat and strong sunscreen: the sun on the sea and the sand is fierce.
- A windbreaker or light fleece for the boat and the sunset on the dunes.
- Closed shoes or sandals with a strap for the dunes; the sand gets everywhere, so avoid your best trainers.
- A zip bag for your phone and a small towel or wet wipes to get the sand off before the drive back.
- Seasickness tablets if you are sensitive, taken before the boat.
Is it worth it?
If you have at least nine days in Peru, yes. In a single day you go from a coast full of wildlife to a desert oasis at sunset, a side of Peru that most travelers who only see Cusco never imagine. The honest downside is the road: it is a long day from Lima, and the boat can be cancelled by the weather. With one night on the coast, both problems almost disappear.
If you have only a week, put your days into Cusco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu, and keep Paracas for your next trip.
Frequently asked questions
Can you do Paracas and Huacachina in one day from Lima?
Yes. Leave Lima around 5:00 am, take a morning boat to the Ballestas Islands, stop at a winery in Ica, do the buggies in Huacachina in the late afternoon and drive back. It makes a 14 to 15 hour day; a night on the coast is more relaxed.
How long is the Ballestas Islands tour?
About two hours from El Chaco pier in Paracas and back, including about 30 to 40 minutes each way and time circling the islands. Visitors do not land: the islands are protected and the wildlife is watched from the boat.
What animals can you see on the Ballestas Islands?
South American sea lions, Humboldt penguins and huge colonies of seabirds such as Peruvian boobies, guanay cormorants and Peruvian pelicans. On the way out you also see the Candelabra geoglyph on the Paracas peninsula.
Is sandboarding in Huacachina safe?
With a reputable operator, a buggy with a roll cage and seat belts, and sandboarding lying on your stomach, it is a safe and fun activity for most people. It is not recommended if you are pregnant or have back or neck problems.
Can the Ballestas boat tour be cancelled?
Yes. The port authority can suspend boat departures when the sea is rough. Morning boats are the most reliable. When boats do not go out, tours usually visit the Paracas National Reserve instead.
What is the best time of day for Huacachina?
The late afternoon. The midday heat in the dunes is intense, and the buggy tours that start around 4:00 pm end with the sunset from the top of a dune.
Should I visit Paracas before or after Cusco?
Before. A day or two at sea level after your international flight is a gentle start, and then you fly from Lima to Cusco. Do not book a flight to Cusco on the same night as a day trip to Paracas.
Official sources: SERNANP, Peru’s protected natural areas service
