
Peru Wildlife Guide
Immerse yourself in their world
A mere three hours south of Lima, Paracas feels like a different world. Here, stunning desert landscapes sit next to coastal views, and rugged cliffs drop straight into the deep blue of the Pacific Ocean. In the Paracas National Reserve and the famous Ballestas Islands, the movie-like magic continues as you're greeted by huge colonies of sea lions, Humboldt penguins, Peruvian boobies, pink flamingos and huge Candelabra geoglyph. Make your way inland and explore the Huacachina oasis, before taking a buggy and sand-boarding adventure around the massive desert sand dunes, or hop on a quad bike to explore further afield. And, when you’re done with land and sea, take to the skies and fly over the mysterious Nazca lines, where hundreds of enormous geoglyphs dating back to pre-Columbian times have been carved into the desert sands - and everyone’s still trying to figure out why.
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A striking landscape where the desert melts into the Pacific Ocean, Paracas National Reserve provides equal portions of adventure, views and childlike wonder. Explore the sandy 'scapes on four or two wheels and, after dark, watch as the sky is spangled with stars. Down on the coast, soak up the rays, speed across the water on a jet ski or kite surfer, or set sail in a catamaran as the sun drops. Delve below the surface with a snorkel and flippers - the water is astonishingly clear. Then there are the Nazca Lines. 2,000-years-old, they remain a mystery to this day, and the best way to see them is on a small-plane flight overhead, where you can often spot the twelve most famous figures. And before you get there, leave time to marvel at the giant Paracas Candelabra carving too...
The history of Paracas is amazing, the setting is surreal, the seafood is to die for and there are plenty of adrenaline-filled adventures to choose from if lounging by the pool doesn’t do it for you.
Paracas is a prime location for water sports so if you’ve ever wanted to try your luck with kite-surfing, this is the place.
The small town of Paracas is not the prettiest - and it’s only a few blocks in size - so don’t expect to spend too much time there.
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