RESERVA NACIONAL DE PARACAS

South of Paracas begins the 335,000 hectare nature reserve, with its deserted beaches where lizards, flamingos, dolphins and sea lions can be seen. Wild camping is possible, provided that you bring food and drink.

Further on, we could observe a monumental rocky concretion, a bird's paradise, called the Catedral, but it was destroyed by the earthquake of 2007. We still pass by it and from the viewpoint we can see the beautiful grey sandy beach on the left.

The playa Roja with its red sand is just as photogenic. For swimming the calm waters of the Mina are perfect, dolphins sometimes come to greet you, beware the page is small and the influx is numerous at the end of the week.

The tours often stop at the small port of Lagunillas, go and have lunch in the most recommended "El Che" hut. You can also climb a small mirador to have a view on this small bay and its fishing boats.

To visit it: By organized tour in taxi or minibus (between S/ 25 and 80 for 2 or 3 hours of visit). However, we advise you to rent a mountain bike (S/ 30 for a day without a guide, count 7 hours) or a scooter (S/ 100): be careful, it can be very hot, in this case we advise you to stay in the sector La Roja-Lagunillas and La Mina. Or explore it by quad (S/ 80 for 2 hours in a group, one pilot + one passenger behind a lead quad).

In the Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello de Paracas (at the checkpoint of the Reserva, free entrance), we learn that if the Peruvian coasts represent only 0.1% of the world's coastline, they nevertheless host 10% of the underwater wealth!

We also discover the beautiful site plucked from the sands of oblivion in 1927 by Julio C. Tello, who revealed the funerary textiles (superimposed bands of cotton which surrounded the dead and protected them from moisture) of the Paracas and Nazca cultures. This museum traces the evolution of these civilizations from 200 to 700 AD through 120 archaeological pieces. It also includes the necropolis of "Cabezas Largas", dating from 500 BC (the men of the Paracas civilization had their skulls stretched from birth), where most of the mummies of the Museo Larco Herrera of Lima come from.

If you stop at the Interpretation Center, don't miss the beach on the right at the end of a long path where pink flamingos are the most numerous to welcome you.