Paracas
5th - 7th April 2025
Islas ballestas paracas
Leaving the fun of the desert in Huacachina and farewell to the chaotic Danish trio, another Peru Hop coach ride took us to the coastal town of Paracas. From here our next outsing would take us to the so called “Poor Man’s Galapagos”. Having visited Galapagos a few months prior, we boarded a tourist boat with relatively low expectations. Soon however, bottlenose dolphins surrounded the boat as we paused to view the Calendelabro de Paracas, a prehistoric geoglyph carved into the Paracas Peninsula.
Heading further offshore with our skipper blaring his eclectic mix of tunes, the Isla Ballastas hove into view. These sheer sided rocky islands are a haven for wildlife but were historically were mined for the guano that had accumulated on the rocky islands to depths exceeding 20m deep. Guano, came from the Quequa word huanu, and there were no shortage of birds rebuilding the islands. Various species from the characterful Humbolt penguins, bigger than their Galapagos cousins, to boobys and Guanay cormorants occupied the islands. Brutish fur seals packed the rock outcrops and beaches and their amusing barks echoed through the many caves.
Returning to Paracas town, we couldn’t resist a go on Peru‘s answer to Total Wipeout, a inflatable floating assault course on the shore. Much hilarity ensued with various tumbles into the sea and flight from an airbag jump and a sideways landing that had me concerned I’d burst and ear drum!
Reserva Nacional de Paracas
Our next adventure was to be on two wheels. Somehow I’d got by never riding a 125cc scooter having only diced with motorbikes a handful of times, So where better to really fine it’s top speed that a desert landscape on the coast of Peru. With our scooters soon affectionately named Dave, An and Alan, and we departed rutted tracks for even more privative trails it soon felt as we were living our own Top Gear special. The landscape was awe inspiring, from colourful salt flats and rolling sandy dunes to sheers cliffs plummeting into the Pacific.
Remarkably after spending the good part of a day exploring the desert on our two wheeled steeds, and not breaking any limbs, it was time for a short coach ride back out the cliffs to catch sunset with fellow travelers from around the world.
Pucusana
Sadly our time in Peru was coming to a close, but before departing from the city of Lima we were keen for another scuba dive in the Pacific. From Lima we travelled a couple of hours south to the Coastal fishing village of Pucusana. From here we meet Chester of Pacific Divers and board the dive boat for a short ride along the coast to our first dive site. We’re kitted out in 7mm wetsuits, and in contrast to our last dive in Galapagos to water is a brisk 12 degrees centigrade with the ocean fueled by the Humboldt current heading north from the Antarctic circumpolar current.
We weave through a kelp forest at the foot of a steep underwater cliff grateful for our thick wetsuits. The kelp, under water fauna and sea life feels much more alike to the wildlife found in my home waters of Guernsey, with one major exception, Humboldt penguins!
Desert biking, assault courses and penguins.