Islas Ballestas Boat Tour: Peru's Galapagos
From €20 per person
See availability →An Islas Ballestas boat tour of two hours from the Paracas pier, nicknamed the Galapagos of Peru: the Candelabra, sea lions, Humboldt penguins, pelicans and thousands of seabirds.
The Islas Ballestas boat tour takes you to a place people nickname the Galapagos of Peru. Penguins on the Peruvian coast sound unlikely, yet they live here next to sea lions and cormorants, while dolphins and, in some seasons, whales swim through the water.
The excursion lasts two hours and starts from the tourist pier. On the way out the boat passes the Candelabra, a huge figure of unknown origin scratched into a sandy slope, much like the Nazca Lines. Another quarter of an hour of sailing brings you to the islands, where rock formations shelter a long list of species:
- sea lions and Humboldt penguins
- pelicans, oystercatchers and guanay cormorants
- thousands of guano birds, including migratory ones
The route also takes in the area where the sea lions have their young, before the boat returns to the dock.
The ticket to board, a lifejacket and an English or Spanish speaking guide are included. The environment ministry's tourist tax is paid separately.