You have a good chance of seeing sea lions, seals, and all kinds of birds at the Ballestas Islands. This tour brings you close to the islands and provides fantastic opportunities for spotting and photographing a variety of wildlife.

The Ballestas Islands are located off the coast of Paracas. They are protected within the Reserva Nacional de las Islas, Islotes y Puntas Guaneras, which protects all 33 of the islands, as well as guano points along the coast.

This tour takes you to the island on a boat. You cannot get off the boat onto any of the islands, but you will get very close to them. Sea lions and seals are often seen.

The islands are covered with thousands of birds—these include Peruvian pelicans, Homboldt penguins, Peruvian boobies, and more. The birds cover the islands in guano, with has about 20 times more nitrogen than cow manure. For this reason, guano is a valuable fertilizer. About 10 million tons of guano was dug off the islands in the mid 19th century; these days, the Peruvian government harvests the guano sustainably.

As you make your way to the islands, you’ll get a view of Paracas’ giant candelabra, a cactus-looking symbol that’s etched into the hillside and of mysterious origin.