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, touts and hotels. Tours leave at 8am, 10am and noon from the Marina Turística de Paracas. The 8am tour usually has the calmest seas and best wildlife viewing.
While the two-hour tours do not 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 giant three-pronged figure etched into the sandy hills, which is more than 150m high and 50m wide. No one knows exactly who made the glyph, or when, or what it signifies, but theories abound. Some connect it to the Nazca Lines, while others propound that it served as a navigational guide for sailors and was based on the constellation of the Southern Cross (or even a masonic symbol). Some even believe it to have been inspired by a local cactus species with hallucinogenic properties.
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 colonies several thousand strong. You'll see some extraction facilities on a couple islands. The Peruvian government still extracts guano (it's a great natural fertilizer) from the islands, but only do so every eight years.
You’ll also see cormorants, Humboldt penguins and, if you’re lucky, dolphins. Although you can get close enough to the wildlife for a good look, some species, especially the penguins, are more visible with binoculars.
Back on shore, you can grab a bite to eat at one of the many waterfront restaurants near the dock in El Chaco, or you can continue on a tour of the Reserva Nacional de Paracas.
