Paracas Trip Report

Nothing but sand and a bit of ocean to enjoy on the nearly four hour journey from Lima to the little village of Paracas, a city that sits on the Pacific and offers views of the Ballestas Islands along with hoards of colorful fishing vessels. The city itself isn’t all that big; one could walk it from end to end in about thirty minutes. What Paracas doesn’t have in size, it makes up for in its natural beauty. 

Landing at the Cruz del Sur terminal, which looks more like a beach shack than a bus station, I was treated to a dune buggy ride to my hotel, the Refugio del Pirata, a nice 3-star hotel located right next to the local restaurants, nightlife (what little there is of it), the artisan market and the Chaco Port. While much of Pisco is still in shambles after the earthquake in 2007, it appears obvious that investors have sought out properties here in Paracas. Repairs have been made and new hotels or expansions are springing up all around. Good news for this popular summer tourist destination.

My morning tour takes me through the Reserva de Paracas, a sprawling national park covering both water and land. As we drive the salt roads, colored black by the tar of truck tires, I can’t help but keep humming David Byrnes’s “(We’re on a) Road to Nowhere.” Dunes of salt and sand surround you, but at each stop, something marvelous and interesting awaits you. Piles of shells and sea fossils from millions of years ago, stranded now in the desert; beautiful views of the ocean, its coastline and the famous Cathedral Rock, now damaged from the 2007 earthquake; the only red sand beach in Peru, created from tiny volcanic pebbles; and a delightful seaside area to have a fresh, delicious ceviche or cangrejo and then take a dip in the tepid waters as a nice break.

The evening finds me sitting at a restaurant and eavesdropping on the political conversation happening at a nearby table. I can’t help myself, I’m fascinated by the current events going on with the most recent, and upcoming, elections in Peru. Three locals and a visiting Frenchman are in a lively discussion, and once I am noticed as an “admirer,” I am invited to join in the conversation as well as the freely flowing cervezas and Pisco. We manage to close the restaurant down and find our way to the main plaza for one of the best midnight snacks I’ve had in some while, some excellent fried chicken; believe me, the Colonel has nothing on this.

Recommendations:

Most people visit Paracas on a one or two day trip from Lima. While planning your stay in the capital, be sure to explore this range of Lima hotels and Miraflores hotels. Be sure to take both the Paracas Reserve and Ballestas Islands tours. The price is right and the areas are beautiful. The best fried chicken was served at a tiny little place without a name. If you’re looking across the main plaza from the main road, it is parallel to the road and a little to the right of center.