Paracas National Reserve

Reserva Nacional de Paracas

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The word Paracas means "rain of sand" in one of the native languages, named after the sandstorms found in this coastal part of Peru.The Paracas National Reserve, a place of harsh beauty and surreal scenery, is the only nature reserve on the Peruvian coast. It is the second most popular tour in the Pisco area, with the Ballestas Islands tour being in first place. While the Ballestas Islands are visited for their abundant wildlife and birds, tourists to the Paracas National Reserve love the wild desert scenery, windswept dunes, lovely untouched beaches, and the dramatic cliffs jutting into the sea.

Jagged cliffs make for beautiful marine landscapes

Paracas National Reserve Tours

Unlike the Ballestas Islands boat tour, the Paracas National Reserve tour is entirely based on land, and the transportation is cars or vans. This tour makes an excellent complement to the Ballestas Islands tour and both tours can be done in the same day. As mentioned above, it has a different focus: here, the beautiful desert landscapes and ocean views are the real stars of the show.

A tour of the Paracas National Reserve includes the following areas:

The fossil spot: a small area near the entrance to the reserve where visitors can observe small molluks fossils preserved in excellent condition. Travellers learn that these fossils are millions of years old, and they tell us that the vast plains of the reserve were at one point deep underwater.

Lagunilla: a picturesque beach and fishing village where we stop for lunch. Visitors are able to get ultra-fresh seafood and fish here. Most lunches cost from $6 to around $9 here. Depending on what time we arrive, you may see fisherman arriving and unloading their daily catch from their boats.

La Catedral , aka The Cathedral: This is a famous and much-photographed rock arch which is found on hundreds of post cards and other souveneers from the area. In 2007 an earthquake destroyed the upper part of the arch, but the area is still worth visiting due to the beautiful views.

The pink flamingoes: An easy 15 minute walk from the museum is a colony of pink flamingos. Unfortunately, the flamingos are a couple hundred yards from the mirador, and passage past this point is prohibited.

Flamingoes quietly fishing in the sheltered waters of the peninsula

Playa Roja - the Red Beach: you will see a beach with reddish rocks that give it its famous name. In the distance you will see red cliffs. The constant waves ramming into the cliffs have eroded the rock and sent pebbles towards the Playa Roja

Erosion from the waves have swept reddish rocks from the cliffs to the beach

The Interpretation Center Museum: learn about the different kinds of wildlife that call the Reserve their home. Foxes, sea lions, lizards, and many types of birds thrive in the harsh desert environment found within the reserve. The museumhas photos and a description of all the animals.

Yumaque - a lovely, picturesque beach deep inside the reserve. While the strong undercurrent makes swimming here dangerous, this is a great place to walk around on the sand and breathe in the ocean air.

Public tour of the Paracas National Reserve

The most affordable way of seeing the Paracas National Reserve, is with a group tour. These tours are held in large vans or small buses, and are open to the general public. The advantage of doing this tour as a group is that the price is very low. However, the disadvantage is that our customers will have limited control of how long the tour stays at any particular beach or viewing area. Plus, these tours usually leave only once per day.

Price: contact us for current pricing information.

Tour includes: pickup at your hotel in Paracas, or pickup at the dock, transportation to the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, a guided tour in English, transportation throughout the park in a van or small tourism bus

Not included: entrance fee to the park (5 soles per person), lunch, gratuities for the guides or drivers

Reserve this tour now.

Private tour of the Paracas National Reserve

The best way to truly appreciate the beauty of the park is with a private tour, and a private guide. This allows our customers to see the park at their leisure, stopping whenever they want, for as long as they want. Private tours are substantially more expensive, but can leave at any time during the day from 8:00 AM to around 2:00 PM.

Price: contact us for current pricing information.

Tour includes: pickup at your hotel in Paracas, or pickup at the dock, transportation to the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, a guided tour in English with a private guide, and private transportation throughout the park in a van or station wagon, depending on the number of passengers.

Not included: entrance fee to the park (5 soles per person), lunch, gratuities for the guides or drivers

Reserve this tour now.

Excellent Tips:

1) If you are considering reserving this tour, why not also reserve your Ballestas Islands tour with us too? We offer discounts for travellers who decide to reserve both tours with our agency.

2) The touristic restaurants near the dock in Paracas are more affordable than the restaurants inside the National Reserve, but both places are excellent locations to get fresh-from-the-ocean seafood and fish.

3) Tourists who visit Paracas and the Islas Ballestas may also wish to visit Huacachina, which is Peru's desert oasis. It is on the way from Pisco/Paracas to Nazca. In Huacachina, we offer some amazing tours such as the ever-popular dune buggy and sandboarding tour.