Paracas Ballestas Islands & Huacachina Sandboarding Day Trip

4.76

(17 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The day kicked off before sunrise, with the city still half asleep as we rolled south along the Panamericana. Out the window, I caught glimpses of fishermen setting up their nets along the misty beaches outside Lima—there’s something calming about that early morning hush. By the time we reached Paracas, the salty breeze had already woken me up for real. Our guide, Javier, handed out life jackets and we hopped onto a small motorboat bobbing at the pier. The sea air was chilly but fresh, and you could smell seaweed mixed with diesel from the boats.

The ride out to the Ballestas Islands was bumpy in spots—if you’re prone to seasickness, maybe skip breakfast or keep it light. As we got closer, I could hear barking sea lions before I even saw them. There were hundreds sprawled over the rocks, some flopping into the water with a splash. Penguins waddled awkwardly between groups of pelicans and cormorants; Javier pointed out an Inca tern with its funny white mustache. He knew every species by name and shared little stories about their habits. The boat circled slowly so everyone could snap photos—honestly, it’s hard to take a bad one here.

Back on land, we drove inland toward Huacachina. The landscape changed fast: one minute you’re passing vineyards and dusty roadside fruit stands (the mangoes smelled incredible), and then suddenly there’s this surreal lagoon surrounded by giant sand dunes. It looked like something out of a movie. We climbed into a dune buggy—those engines are loud!—and tore across the sand at what felt like rollercoaster speeds. Sandboarding down those slopes is wild; I wiped out twice but couldn’t stop laughing. The sun sets fast in the desert, so don’t forget sunglasses and sunscreen—the glare is no joke.