Results Water tours and activities Paracas

BALLESTAS ISLAS

On the water
4.2/5
9 review

Go there and contact

Paracas, Peru
Improve this page
2025
Recommended
2025

A two-hour excursion, which leaves in the morning from the port of El Chaco. The boats leave in the morning at 8am, before the fog sets in, and offer fairly standard tours with between 10 and 35 passengers on board and a guide who speaks Spanish and English. Second departure at 10am, only in summer season. You leave for the Ballestas, these islands which are funny ochre rock formations and shelter a diversified marine fauna: there are many colonies of birds such as the "zarzillo" (a kind of seagull), the "chuita" (red-legged cormorant), the pelican and the famous "piquero peruano" the one that produces guano - a fertilizer of capital importance for Peru which markets it -, but also many seals, sea lions and dolphins, and only a few specimens of Peruvian penguins, known as Humboldt's penguins, which are on the way to extinction. On the way, we come across a strange figure engraved on a hill, visible only from the sea: el Candelabro. This imposing geoglyph, 128 m long and 78 m wide, engraved in a sand dune, revives, as for the Nazca lines, the speculations on its meaning. Is it a drawing of a cactus, a venerated plant, or a sign to guide navigators? This remains a mystery.

It is not possible to go down to the islands (only people who collect guano are allowed), but we get very close to the beaches and rocks where the sea lions laze and bask, it is the highlight of the show.

Did you know? This review was written by our professional authors.


Organize your trip with our partners Paracas
Transportation
Accommodation & stays
Services / On site

Book the Best Activities with Get Your Guide

Members' reviews on BALLESTAS ISLAS

4.2/5
9 reviews
Send a reply
Value for money
Service
Originality

The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.

You have already submitted a review for this establishment, it has been validated by the Petit Futé team. You have already submitted a review for this establishment, awaiting validation, you will receive an email as soon as it is validated.
Visited in july 2024
Agréable visite en bateau
Il faut se lever tôt pour faire la balade en bateau qui dure environ 1h30 aller-retour (attention, il faisait vraiment froid en juillet, couvrez-vous bien !). On a d'abord fait un arrêt pour admirer le candelabre gravé dans la montagne, puis on a vu des cormorans de Bourgainville. Le bateau s'est ensuite dirigé vers les Islas Ballestas, où nous avons admiré des otaries à crinière et des manchots de Humboldt. Excellente expérience !
Visited in may 2019
Value for money
Service
Originality
A faire
Nous prenons le bateau le matin du port, après avoir vu le mystérieux candélabre, nous assistons au ballet de milliers d'oiseaux : sternes, pélicans, cormorans… sur la plage et les rochers se prélassent et les otaries avec leurs bébés ainsi que "2" pingouins. Très agréable promenade.
fute_811676
Visited in october 2017
Value for money
Service
Originality
Magnifique ballade en bateau à la découverte des iles Ballestas , pingouins pélicans, ...... . Quand même beaucoup de monde .
O'Rélie
Visited in september 2017
Value for money
Service
Originality
We have followed the advice and we have to take the boat early in the morning so that we can observe all the animals: penguins, pelicans, seals and sea lion. Beware of the splash of birds; -) It's incredible to be able to approach so closely all these animals.
Visited in august 2017
Value for money
Service
Originality
Départ des bateaux toutes les 2h ( 8h/10h/12h); préférez celui de 8h la mer est plus calme. Le trajet est assez court environ 30 min pour s'y rendre.
On peut y voir une quantité d'oiseaux impressionnantes, des dauphins, des lions de mer, des pélicans, des manchots, des fous.... La faune est vraiment dense et le bateau laisse beaucoup de temps pour observer et s'en approcher de très près.
Arret également pour voir "le chandelier" sur la dune de sable ( hyeroglyphe) dont le mystère reste encore entier comme les lignes de Nazca.

Find unique holiday offers with our partners

Send a reply