Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
motley 'resort' strip shared by youthful backpackers, middle-aged ornithologists and a
growing band of moneyed Limeños. On potholed streets still recuperating from the 2007
earthquake stray dogs bark, waiters hold open fish-inspired menus and hungry pelicans
stakeout the harbor like vultures searching for fresh carrion. Tourism is the village's raison
d'être, though the posh new hotels and Lima-like condos that have recently embellished
the town's periphery have yet to forge a collective personality. On the road north to Pisco
a collection of large fish factories emit a distinctive and stomach-churning pong.
Sights
The reserve's essential business is the de rigueur boat tour of the Islas Ballestros and the
one-day sojourn around the bald deserted Paracas peninsula. Birds and sea mammals are
the lures here, but, lest we forget, this is also one of Peru's most important archaeological
sites thanks primarily to the pre-Inca treasures unearthed by one of the country's most im-
portant archaeologists, Julio Tello in the 1920s.
EL CHACO
Paracas History Museum
(Av Los Libertadores; admission S10; 9am-5.30pm) Since most of the archaeological
booty dug up nearby has been carted off to Lima, Paracas' tiny museum is left with only a
few scraps, the most striking of which are the elongated human skulls.
MUSEUM
ISLAS BALLESTAS
Although grandiosely nicknamed the 'poor man's Galapagos,' the Islas Ballestas make for
a memorable excursion. The only way to get there is on a boat tour, offered by many tour
agencies ( Click here ) . While the tours do not actually disembark onto the islands, they
do get you startlingly close to an impressive variety of wildlife. None of the small boats
have a cabin, so dress to protect against the wind, spray and sun. The sea can get rough, so
sufferers of motion sickness should take medication before boarding. Wear a hat (cheap
ones are sold at the harbor), as it's not unusual to receive a direct hit of guano (droppings)
from the seabirds.
On the outward boat journey, which takes about 30 minutes, you will stop just offshore
to admire the famous Candelabra geoglyph.
A further hour is spent cruising around the islands' arches and caves and watching large
herds of noisy sea lions sprawl on the rocks. The most common guano-producing birds in
this area are the guanay cormorant, the Peruvian booby and the Peruvian pelican, seen in
Search WWH ::




Custom Search