Matthew Barker

Peru Travel: What to Do in Paracas

Have an extra day on your Peru vacation in Paracas? Here are some suggested activities to fill up your spare time.

If you are on a Peru vacation in Paracas, here are some things that you can do if you are lucky enough to have some extra time.

Paracas Bay Tour

A tour of Paracas Bay can usually be arranged usually as a half-day or full-day tour. Paracas has truly amazing marine wildlife – made possible by the Humboldt Current and the shallow warm waters where seaweed grows and feeds a diversity of species – with a dramatic desert landscape as a backdrop. A guided tour of the bay will familiarize travelers with some of these species, including the many birds unique to the region. The tour goes to the Ballestas Islands, but does not stop on the islands in order to reduce human impact on the flora and fauna; the tour can include time for laidback relaxation on the beach. Ballestas’ famous fauna include the Humboldt penguins, sea lions, and dolphins.

Chauchilla Cemetery

19 miles outside of Nazca, virtually in the middle of nowhere, is an ancient burial ground. Visitors will be able to see 12 tombs that have been excavated. Intact mummies, with garments, jewelry, and pottery, are exposed. A tour guide will lead you through this fascinating site while providing you with the history and context of the Nazca culture. The cemetery also has a museum which displays more mummies and ceramics. 

Huacachina Plus Sand Boarding

A visit to this desert oasis is easy to arrange from Paracas or Lima. The first step is to get to Ica, usually by bus. From Ica, catch a taxi to Huacachina. It is a small town, with a lagoon, surrounded by palm trees and other foliage. The town’s hotels and restaurants, line the boardwalk. Huacachina enjoys pleasant, sunny weather almost all year round, and hotels frequently have swimming pools. Outside the town, there is nothing but sand dunes – perfect for sand boarding or dune bashing. Sand boarding tours generally begin at either 9 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon. Dune buggy tours proceed through an 18-mile circuit just outside of Huacachina. There are also stops for those who want to sand board on the dunes, and those who choose not to partake can snap pictures of this amazing landscape.

Paracas

The town itself is a popular beach resort destination and boasts all the facilities for a chilled out vacation away from the bustle of Lima (260 kilometers to the north) and Peru’s other big cities.  In town and along the beaches there are numerous booths where vendors sell unique artisanal crafts made from polished fossils, rocks, and sea shells.

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