Is Paracas Worth Visiting?
Yes, Paracas is absolutely worth visiting, especially if you love wildlife, stunning coastal landscapes, and outdoor adventures.
This small town on Peru’s coast is best known for the Paracas National Reserve and the Ballestas Islands, two must-visit highlights that make it a great stop on any Peru itinerary.
Why Visit Paracas?
- Ballestas Islands – Often called the “Poor Man’s Galápagos,” these islands are home to sea lions, Humboldt penguins, and thousands of seabirds. A boat tour takes you close to the rocky shores, where you can watch the wildlife in action.
- Paracas National Reserve – A vast, otherworldly landscape of desert meeting the ocean, with dramatic cliffs, red-sand beaches, and viewpoints overlooking the Pacific. Rent a bike, take a guided tour, or drive through to explore the different beaches and viewpoints.
- Relaxed Beach Town Vibe – While Paracas is small, it’s a great place to slow down, enjoy fresh seafood, and soak in the coastal scenery.
- Easy to Visit – Just a few hours from Lima, it’s a perfect weekend getaway or a quick stop on a longer trip through Peru.
“Joe turned our fragmented ideas into a seamless itinerary. His expert advice saved us time, money, and stress – making our 3-month trip feel easy.”
Sam & Amy – 3 Months In South America
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My 6 Reasons To Visit Paracas
1. Rent A Bicycle And Cycle Around The Desert
Paracas National Park is an untouched natural desert on Peru’s coastline that’s perfect for exploration and adventure.
One way of navigating through this unique place is on a bicycle and you won’t regret it as you fly down sand dunes with the ocean breeze in your hair.
Bike rental for the day should be no more than 25 soles. Always make sure to give the tires, brakes, and gears a good test before you take it out for the day. You don’t want to be stranded in the desert after all. The park is mostly flat roads but there are a couple of uphill climbs in which gears will save your legs.
The best sights in the park are Playa Roja (Red Sand Beach), Playa Supay, Playa Yumaque and La Catedral. Head to Playa Roja and get some photos of the deep red sand, chill at one of the many beaches or stay all day to watch the sunset over the natural cliff monuments at La Catedral.
We’ve detailed three routes for you here in our complete guide – two short routes with less time on the bike and a longer route with a whole day and ticking off every sight in the park:
2. Take A Tour To The Ballestas Islands
The Ballestas Islands are known as the ‘Poor Man’s Galapagos’. You can easily visit the islands from Paracas via boat and tours are cheap – hence the nickname!
On the tour, you can see sea lions, penguins, and loads of seabirds. If you’re lucky, you may also see dolphins riding in the wake of your boat – it will feel like you’re in an episode of Blue Planet.
Sealion breeding season is between January and March when you’ll see the beach covered in these noisy but loveable creatures. If you’re visiting between August and October, this is the migrating season for Humpback whales which are often seen in the area.
For the cheap price and the amount of wildlife you see, we think the tour is definitely worth it – especially if you haven’t already visited Isla Plata in Montanita or the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador.
3. Take A Sunset Tour In The National Reserve
Another way to visit Paracas National Reserve is on a guided tour.
Some go out during the day but the best one is known as the Golden Shadows tour (or Sombras Doradas) – a sunset hike along the coastal cliff edges of the reserve.
The tour will last about 3 hours and you’ll be picked up around 3 PM, the sunset is at approximately 6 PM all year round.
You’ll hike for around 1.5 hours across the dunes, stopping at the Red Sand Beach and ending at La Catedral where you will get some incredible golden hour photos whilst watching the sun go down over the Pacific Ocean.
We’ve outlined the best way to book a tour along with 3 other ways of visiting the reserve. For more detail, head to the post below:
4. Visit Laguna Morón and Go Sandboarding
Laguna Morón is a secluded desert lagoon where you can go swimming and sandboarding.
You will be picked up in a huge sand buggy and travel around half an hour outside of Paracas to reach it.
The buggy speeds effortlessly over the dunes and you will catch some serious air as you fly over them. Once you reach the lagoon you can go swimming to escape the desert heat and try your best at sandboarding down the dunes.
Whilst the lagoon is a unique place to visit and great for pictures, we recommend saving the sandboarding for when you reach Huacachina which is the next stop along the backpacker trail in Peru. The dunes are bigger, and the tour is cheaper!
5. Take an ATV Or Buggy Tour Of Paracas National Reserve
What better way to see the park than by driving a buggy over the rolling dunes and then parking up on the cliffs to watch the sunset. This is a great way to see the national reserve, especially if you’re looking for an adrenaline fix as well.
You also get the added benefit of a guide local knowledge so you know where you can drive and park, which you won’t have if you explore by yourself. Guides always know the best spots for pictures too.
These tours are shorter compared to the rest on this list, lasting 2 hours, but you will still see all the popular sights.
6. Go Kitesurfing
Paracas is one of the best kitesurfing spots in the world with some of the best schools as well.
The coastal desert is an ideal place to learn with easy learning conditions and fantastic scenery to please every rider.
You can rent equipment if you already have experience. Or if you are a beginner, you can sign up for single lessons or stay with them for longer and take lessons over the course of a week.
Perukite and Kangaroo Kite are the two main professional kitesurfing schools based on the edge of Paracas National Reserve:
Visiting Paracas National Reserve is one of our many reasons to visit Peru. For more great reasons, check out the post below:
How Many Days Do You Need In Paracas?
Here’s a summary of the number of days I recommend in Paracas:
| Days | Activities | Best For... |
|---|---|---|
|
1 Day |
National Reserve and Ballestas Islands |
People short on time, day trip from Lima |
|
2 Days |
National Reserve and Ballestas Islands |
Travellers moving at a normal pace |
|
3 Days |
National Reserve, Ballestas Islands and another activity |
Travellers moving at a slow pace |
|
Crowds |
Busy |
Quiet |
Two days is an ideal amount of time to spend in Paracas.
The two best things to do in Paracas are a tour of the Ballestas Islands and to visit the National Reserve. You can spend one full day visiting the National Reserve either on bikes or via a guided tour, and the second day visiting the Ballestas Islands.
The town of Paracas is small so there’s not much else going on nightlife wise to make backpackers stay any longer.
Take three days maximum if you wish to visit the park more than once in a different way, for example, one day on bikes and then another day on a sunset tour. Or just take a third day if you want to relax and catch some sun by the pool.
The Best Places To Eat In Paracas
Take a walk along the waterfront in Paracas and you will find a selection of restaurants, many with outside seating perfect for watching the sunset over the habour.
If you take a left when coming out of Kokopelli hostel and walk to the harbour this way, the street that leads to the sea has rows of small restaurants serving cheap food.
- Fruzion has great breakfast options, including pancakes and fruit, with several fantastic smoothies to choose from too.
- Vegano Peruano is an incredible restaurant is on the third floor of the shopping mall. It has the best view out onto the sea. The food is stunning and they’ve recreated all the classic Peruvian dishes using vegan ingredients – we can’t recommend it enough. Try the vegan Lomo Soltado if you visit!
“We ended up with a better itinerary than anything a travel agent suggested – and without the hefty price tag!
Jerry & Maria – 5 Weeks In South America
Planning a trip to
Struggling with any of this?
✔ Don’t know where to start planning
✔ Spending hours researching… and still feeling stuck
✔ Want freedom, not a rigid tour
✔ Don’t want to spend $5,000+ on a travel agent
You don’t have to figure it out solo.
I help travellers like you plan custom South America trips that are efficient, affordable, and totally personalised.
Where To Visit Next After Paracas?
How To Get To Paracas From Lima
Most backpackers start their travels through Peru in Lima, and then head down the coast before curving up into the Andes to reach Cusco. This makes travelling in Peru straightforward and easy to plan.
Paracas will usually be the second stop on a backpacker’s journey from Lima, and it’s easy to reach.
The bus journey takes around three to four hours, and there are several public bus companies to pick from. We went with Cruz Del Sur due to the better reviews and weren’t disappointed. The process is the same for any bus company you choose so we’ll outline what we did here.
For more backpacker guides on Lima, check out the posts below:
How To Get To Huacachina From Paracas
The easiest way to get from Paracas to Huacachina is by local bus. This is a much shorter journey bus journey of around an hour and a half.
If you are going to Huacachina then you will have to get the bus to Ica and get off there, then take a taxi into the oasis. The taxi shouldn’t cost more than 10 soles.
For more information on the incredible desert oasis of Huacachina, check out the post below:
How To Get To Arequipa From Paracas
If you aren’t stopping at the desert oasis of Huacachina, then the next stop south will be Arequipa. The journey is over 750km and takes around 20 hours via bus so best to take a night bus.
Alternatively, you can travel back to Lima and then fly to Arequipa.
For more on Arequipa, check out our backpacker guides and itineraries:
