Ballestas Islands Boat Excursion

Ballestas Islands Boat Excursion

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.

Featured in:Boat Tours, Marine Wildlife, Ballestas Islands
Duration:
2 hrs
Available Days:
Every day
Schedule:
7:30 AM
Hotel Transport Included
Mobile Ticket Included
Offered in English, Spanish

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.

Attraction Visited

Ballestas Islands

The Ballestas Islands have been called the “poor man’s Galapagos,” though the islands are impressive enough to be more accurately considered “the mini-Galapagos of Peru.” Exploring them by boat will give visitors the chance to see over 160 different species of marine birds and the islands’ famous sea lions.

Read more:Ballestas Islands

What to Bring

Jacket, sunscreen, hat, and camera.

What's included

Transportation

Transportation

Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.