Having come straight from Lima, the small town of Paracas couldn’t have felt more different. While both are coastal in location, their size and population are polar opposite. Lima is bustling, polluted and highly populated – over 11 million people reside there! – whereas Paracas is quiet, calm and home to just over 4000.
Despite its small size however Paracas packs a real punch on the typical tourist route. There’s an abundance of day trips, plenty of wildlife and an entry point into the world famous Atacama Desert.
Just three and a bit hours away from the capital it’s well worth a visit. While most of the backpackers we spoke to were only staying in town for one night, we spent a total of four days immersing ourselves in everything the sleepy seaside town had to offer.
Here is what we got up to during our stay…
Hiring Bikes
Our hostel offered its guests the option to hire bikes for roughly £6 per person for the day and we jumped at the chance to run off into the depths of Paracas National Reserve (the northernmost part of the famous Atacama Desert). Our spontaneous decision transpired into being one of the best days we had throughout our entire 3 month trip of South America.
The national reserve is VAST and you could easily spend multiple days exploring every cove, beach and dune. We cycled non-stop for hours and only saw a fraction of the reserve. We were also the only people in our immediate surroundings 99% of the time. The sense of isolation was incredibly freeing.
The roads were tough to manage at times. There were uneven surfaces and pot-holes galore. Cycling up-hill was hard work, cycling down-hill was a bit scary as you end up moving very fast, very quickly, but BOY did we feel alive. The desert landscape was like something out of a Star Wars movie. And the beaches were gorgeous, with huge waves making the most intense rhythmic sound.
Also, entry into the Paracas National Reserve is only 11 PEN – £2.43 – an absolute steal!
Having not ridden a bicycle in about 10 years, it took some getting used to moving forward in a straight line, but I got there! I hope this gives some reassurance to anyone who is not super confident on a bike, that if I can do it so can you!
TOP TIP: You must adequately prepare for biking through the desert. Bring a day pack with sunscreen, lots of water and snacks to get you through. A hat and sunglasses are also a must. Otherwise you will find yourself burnt before you know it.
Spot The Flamingos
If you look carefully when out and about in the National Reserve you will be able to spot wild flamingos in the lagoons and sea (areas where there are no waves). The flamingos typically keep their distance but you will see little spots of pink in groups around the waterfront.
There is also a designated flamingo viewpoint which we passed as we ended our day cycling through the National Reserve. It can be accessed from the National Reserve Museum.
Golden Shadow Trek Sunset Hike
We signed up for a sunset hike the first evening upon our arrival to Paracas. Our guide took us some way into the National Reserve and then we were led along the sea and then up some pretty steep and challenging dunes to look out onto some incredibly impressive scenery. The rock formations, the beaches and oceans were spectacular. As was the sunset, despite the sandstorm that covered the entire town in a layer of fine sand.
One thing I will say is that hiking up is much easier than hiking down. There is a pretty steep descent at the end of the tour, but our guide was great in supporting us down. Our group had people of all ages and fitness levels participate in the trek.
You will definitely need to wrap up warm for this excursion as the wind is incredibly powerful. A buff/face overing and sunglasses are also essentials for this hike as the sand gets whipped up and gets everywhere. You definitely don’t want it in your eyes or mouth when hiking up the dunes!
Those that fear heights may struggle with this trip. High winds plus sheer cliff edge drops isn’t the best combination for the faint hearted.
Boat Trip To The Ballestas Islands
One of the main attractions of Paracas is taking a boat over to the Ballestas Islands, often referred to as the Peruvian Galapagos or even as the ‘Poor Man’s Galapagos’!
Be warned that taking the boat over to the Ballestas islands is very much weather dependent. We were told that the Peruvian navy oversaw the island and let the boat trip organisers know in the morning whether or not the island was safe to visit – the waves can be pretty dangerous apparently.
Thankfully the tour operators always have the backup option of taking you to the White Islands (which is what happened to us) should the Ballestas Islands not be safe to visit. These are equally as rich in wildlife!
Amongst hundreds of boobies, we also saw Humboldt penguins, pelicans and huge sea lions. The sea lions in particular were very unperturbed by the boat full of tourists!
From the boat you will also be able to see the Candelabra in all its glory. The prehistoric geoglyph is thought to date back all the way to 200 BC!
El Chaco Beach
El Chaco is a little stretch of beach located in Paracas, which runs alongside a bunch of restaurants and bars. It’s a great spot to catch the sunset, buy a souvenir or watch pelicans clumsily dive into the water to catch fish.
Where To Stay
Being almost entirely reliant on tourism, Paracas has absolutely no shortage of accommodation options, from luxurious 5-star hotels through to budget-friendly backpacker dorms.
We would highly recommend staying at Atenas Backpacker Hospedaje – a small, family-run hostel along the main street in Paracas. Not only was it incredibly affordable, but the beds were super comfortable and the staff were always so warm and welcoming.
Atenas offers a cheap breakfast and a number of excursion/trip options too. We hired our bikes to explore the National Reserve with our hostel and it became our favourite memory from our stay in Paracas!
They also get a bonus point for having a cute but mischievous little pet dog on site too!
Where To Eat
After over-indulging in dining out whilst visiting Lima, we kept our meals pretty low-key in Paracas, choosing to make our own food at the hostel. The few occasions we did eat out, however, we came away full and satisfied. Here are a couple of restaurant recommendations…
Waiki Pizza Bar
Waiki has a really laid-back vibe and is always one of the busiest spots in town. The interior is funky and cosy and the food is equally comforting.
Expect Mexican food, pizzas, burgers and some amazing cocktails.
Pukasoncco
A bit of a nightmare to hunt down – persevere because it’s worth it – Pukasoncco is actually a little restaurant run by a local artist, who subsidises his passion for creating art with his equally impressive cooking skills!
You immediately feel like you are chilling at a friend’s house rather than sitting in a restaurant, which I really appreciate.
Portions are generous, so be sure to come with an empty stomach or come prepared to share.
Does Paracas Have ATMs?
Yes! Rest assured, despite being such a small town, Paracas does indeed have several ATMs in town to withdraw cash. I had read other blogs which said otherwise, but I can confirm you will not be left cashless here.
Visit Paracas
While many tour guides suggest staying at Paracas for just a day or two, I would highly suggest staying a little longer.
Our absolute highlight was getting lost in the desert dunes of Paracas National Reserve and being able to see wild penguins and sea lions during our boat tour.
While Paracas is small it had a mighty impact on us! The people here were very friendly and welcoming and it was a great introduction to what the rest of our Peru trip would have to offer… more on that coming soon!
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
