The 12 Best Things To Do In Paracas, Peru

Last Updated: January 13 2024

Paracas is a charming seaside town that can be found on the west coast of Peru. Three hours away from the country’s capital city of Lima, this town is known for its beaches, nature reserve, and the Ballestas Islands, where tourists can see sea lions, pelicans, penguins, and more!

Despite having so much to offer, not many tourists travelling through South America visit the Paracas Peninsula. However, we want to change that! If you’re exploring Peru, you have to visit this incredible place.

Today, we’re going to show you what this town has to offer, by showing you the best things to do in Paracas, Peru! We’ll also tell you everything you need to know ahead of your trip, so let’s dive right in.

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The Best Things to Do in Paracas, Peru

1. Go on a boat trip to the Ballestas Islands

We’ll start this list of things to do in Paracas with the Ballestas Islands. If you only do one thing here, make sure it’s a scenic boat tour to the Ballestas Islands.

Also referred to as Islas Ballestas, this small group of islands is located within the Paracas District off the south coast of Peru. These islands consist mostly of large rock formations and are home to some of the most amazing marine and bird life in the country!

An important sanctuary for wildlife, some of the most notable species here include fur seals, sea lions, red-legged cormorants, pelicans, Humboldt penguins, and the Peruvian booby.

Heading out on a scenic boat tour is the best way to see what the Ballestas Islands have to offer. The tour we went on included free hotel pick-up and a two-hour boat trip. You’ll love it here so don’t miss out!

2. Explore Paracas National Reserve

Another popular tourist attraction near the town is Paracas National Reserve which spans the ocean, islands, and desert. Covering an area of over 335,000 hectares, this national reserve has a huge variety of different things to see, so you should spend at least one day here.

One of the best attractions within the national reserve is the Paracas Candelabra geoglyph which is a large hillside etching with mysterious origins. Museo de Sitio C. Tello is worth a visit too because it houses a collection of ancient relics from the Paracas Culture!

Like the Ballestas Islands, Paracas National Reserve is also home to migratory birds, seals, sea lions, and dolphins. There’s a famous trek here too called the Golden Shadows Trek so make sure you check it out.

Because the reserve is so vast, the best way to explore it is by tour. This Ballestas Islands & Paracas National Reserve tour offers tourists a great way to see the reserve and includes the Candelabro. The Ballestas Islands are included as an added bonus!

3. Take a day trip to Huacachina

There are some great day trips from the town too, for example, Ica and Huacachina. In our opinion, Huacachina is the best place to visit if you want to leave Paracas for the day!

It’s a stunning desert oasis found to the west of Ica. At the centre of the oasis sits a beautiful green lagoon and a ring of palm trees. There aren’t many things to do in Huacachina but that’s what makes it so special!

Simply relaxing on the shores of the oasis is perfect. For more adventure, hike up one of the surrounding sand dunes or jump in a dune buggy for an exhilarating ride!

The Paracas to Huacachina bus takes around 1.5 hours and drops you off in Ica. From there, you can jump in a tuk-tuk to the oasis. Alternatively, you can hop on a private Paracas to Huacachina tour.

4. Head out on a buggy ride

If you have enough time, you might want to visit the national reserve again to take part in a dune buggy ride. Several excellent tours in Paracas will allow you to head out into the reserve on a dune buggy adventure!

This dune buggy ride is affordable, great fun, and lasts for around two hours. Exploring the coastal reserve this way gives you the chance to experience everything this place has to offer.

You’ll explore a variety of the best sights, fly over the sand dunes, and find some breathtaking viewpoints that overlook the ocean. Another fabulous thing about this tour, is that you get the chance to venture deeper into the reserve, into areas that can’t be reached on foot or by car.

It might be worth noting that this tour puts two people in every buggy!

5. Look out for sea lions

If you’re staying in Paracas for a couple of days, there’s a very good chance you might come across some sea lions. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

Of course, the best chance you have of seeing the sea lions here is on a Ballestas Island tour.

However, they regularly come into the harbour too. In fact, we saw them almost every night swimming amongst the boats. Some would even come out of the water and sit on the sea wall which was pretty cool!

We can highly recommend sitting at one of the ocean-front bars or restaurants with a drink because this will give you a great chance of spotting these awesome creatures.

We actually saw some Humboldt penguins in the harbour too so always look out at the water when you can! Other bird species you can see here include pelicans and cormorants.

6. Take a trip out to Tambo Colorado

Another popular thing to do outside the town is to visit Tambo Colorado where you will find an incredibly well-preserved Inca adobe complex. Located around an hour from the coast of Peru, you should have no problem getting there and you’ll be amazed at what you find.

Tambo Colorado is also known by the names Pukallaqta (red place), Pukawasi (red house), and Puka Tampu (red resting place). The site gets its name from the colourful stone used to make its walls!

It’s believed that the site was built towards the end of the 15th century during the reign of King Pachacuti, who is quite possibly the most famous Inca King.

Tambo Colorado features several ancient stone structures that stand around a large central plaza. This central plaza is 150 metres (492 feet) long and is shaped like a trapezoid. In terms of colour, the site consists of red, black, white, and yellow rock.

7. Try a Pisco Sour

If you’re wondering what to do in Paracas and you like alcohol, then you’re in luck. Paracas has a huge variety of different cocktail bars that serve the most delicious, and boozy cocktails.

However, if you want to try the best Peruvian alcohol, you need to have a Pisco Sour! It’s the national drink of Peru and takes its name from the liquor used to make it.

Pisco Sours are typically made from pisco, lemon juice, syrup, and egg. You have to try at least one during your time in the town, and there are a couple of different variations.

If you want to learn more about this Peruvian cocktail, you could jump on the bus to Ica and check out some of the Pisco Sour vineyards. Exploring these vineyards is undoubtedly one of the best things to do in Ica!

At vineyards like Tacama, El Catador, and Hacienda La Caravedo you can learn all about how pisco sour is made.

8. Go Paragliding

If you’re still on the lookout for adventurous things to do in Paracas, you’ll be pleased to hear that there are tour companies in town offering paragliding excursions. This paragliding flight at Paracas National Reserve excursion is one of the most popular!

This excursion gives you the chance to soar through the skies above the national reserve, which truly is a one-of-a-kind experience. The majestic desert landscape and vast ocean views from the sky look incredible and the overall experience is exhilarating.

You can take part in paragliding without having experience as a professional guide will take you up. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and take in the epic views!

This specific paragliding trip includes return transfers from your hotel, your paragliding experience, and insurance. The only extra thing you have to pay for is your national reserve entrance ticket.

9. Explore the town (El Chaco)

No trip to the town is complete without spending some time exploring El Chaco. It’s considered to be a small town within Paracas and it’s generally where most of the action can be found.

Here, you can find some of the area’s best restaurants, bars, markets, and sea views. A lot of the tours from Paracas to the Ballestas Islands leave from here too, so you may as well visit on your way to your boat trip.

There aren’t loads of things to do in El Chaco but it’s a wonderful place to stroll around, soak up the sun, and explore. We wandered through every night, trying somewhere new to eat, finding a new spot to watch the sunset, and in search of some goodies from the local market of course!

10. Take a flight over the Nazca Lines

You can fly over the Nazca Lines on a day trip from Paracas. We didn’t do this because it’s a pretty expensive activity but we’d have loved to!

If you’ve watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, you’ll have seen the Nazca Lines. These lines in southern Peru are a group of ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert.

They cover an area of almost 1,000 square kilometres and there are approximately 300 different figures to see. Most Nazca Lines represent plants and animals, and they have deep meanings! Some of the lines are up to 30 metres (98 feet) wide and 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) long, so are really impressive.

A Nazca Lines flight tour will take you to Pisco Airport where you’ll take flight for almost two hours!

11. Try some of the local cuisines

One thing you’ll notice as you travel through Peru is how good the food is, so make sure you tuck into some of the local dishes whenever you can. We like to try as many things as we can when we travel and we loved the variety of dishes on offer in this country!

Peru is well known for a wide range of dishes including ceviche, lomo saltado, aji de gallina, papas a la Huacachina, and cuy.

We both agreed that aji de gallina was our favourite dish so we recommend trying that first! This dish is a creamy chicken curry made with aji chillies, and you’ll find that plenty of restaurants offer it.

The only dish you might want to avoid is cuy because this is fried guinea pig. It probably tastes great but it just wasn’t for us!

Honestly, trying the local cuisine is one of the best things to do in Paracas!

12. Go on an ATV Adventure

This next attraction on our list is quite similar to the dune buggy tour we spoke about earlier, however, this time you’ll be riding through the national reserve on an ATV.

For those that haven’t heard of ATV tours before, they are essentially just quad-bike tours that allow you to explore places inaccessible by foot or car. In this instance, you can travel to the more remote parts of the park and check out the best sights.

This ATV adventure tour will take you to several of the reserve’s most famous locations. This includes the viewpoint of the cathedral, the Isthmus of the peninsula, Yumaque Beach, and Playa Roja.

At each location, you’ll have enough time to explore, enjoy the scenery, and take epic photographs. This tour also includes free hotel pick up and drop off!

Helpful Information for Visiting Paracas

How to get to Paracas

Now we’ve shown you what to do in Paracas, we’d like to share some helpful information that will make your trip easier!

Paracas isn’t the easiest of places to get to. There’s no airport and the town is a couple of hours away from other major cities. As such, the best way to get here is by bus.

The nearest major airport is in Lima and the bus from Peru’s capital takes approximately 3.5 hours. You can book a bus on Busbud too!

If you want to visit Machu Picchu after heading here, we recommend booking a bus from Paracas to Cusco. Alternatively, you could get the bus to Ica and stay there.

How to get around Paracas

Paracas is only a small town so you can easily get around by foot. However, if you want to explore the surrounding area you’ll have to get a different mode of transport.

If you want to visit Huacachina, the Ballestas Islands, or the national reserve, you will need to either pay for a tour, get a private taxi, or jump on a bus. For obvious reasons, you will have to book a boat trip to the islands!

You can get a taxi to nearby attractions and some buses run to Ica. If you want to visit the national reserve, we recommend getting a taxi or booking a tour. Unfortunately, no bus goes here from town!

The rest of the time, you can explore Paracas on foot.

The best time to visit Paracas

Generally speaking, there are fun things to do in Paracas all year round. Having said that, some times of the year are better to visit than others!

Typically, the best time to visit is in the summertime which is between December and March. That’s when temperatures are at their highest and the skies are clear. However, this is when Paracas is the busiest.

If you want the best chance to spot wildlife during your visit, you’ll want to plan your trip carefully. The best time for wildlife depends on what you want to see. For example, April to November is the perfect time for spotting Humboldt penguins!

Depending on the season and migration patterns, you might see different species of birds too. Luckily, sea lions are present in Paracas all year round!

Where to Stay in Paracas

Paracas might only have a small town centre but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of great places to stay. There are a variety of great accommodation options for every kind of budget!

To help you find the perfect place to stay, we’ve put some of our best accommodation recommendations below!

Budget: Atenas Backpacker Hospedaje

This is one of the cheapest accommodation options you’ll find in Paracas. You’ll be staying just a few steps from the beach too so you’ll be in a great location for exploring the nearby area.

On-site you’ll find a shared lounge, a tour desk, and a vending machine. Atenas Backpacker Hospedaje offers bicycle rentals too, and continental breakfast is available at the property.

Mid-range: Casa Paracas

Casa Paracas is another great option that’s in a central location. The rooms are spacious and cosy, and you’ll have breakfast included. They feature plenty of amenities too including free WiFi and air conditioning.

If you decide to stay here, you’ll benefit from a shared lounge, shared kitchen, BBQ facilities, and a shuttle service. This property can also organise tours for you!

Luxury: Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort

This gorgeous 5* hotel offers two swimming pools, an on-site spa, a restaurant, and a fitness centre. There’s also a private dock here where you can take yacht tours to the Ballestas Islands.

You’ll have a variety of rooms to choose from and many of them feature ocean views. If you’re after a luxurious getaway in Paracas then this is your place!

Booking.com

Frequently Asked Questions about Paracas

How many days do I need in Paracas?

Typically, most travellers only spend one night here. This gives them enough time to see the town and head out on a Ballestas Island tour. However, there are so many things to do in Paracas that we think you need more time than that!

In our opinion, two or three nights is a good length of time to stay in the town. This amount of time allows you to explore the Ballestas Islands, check out the national reserve, walk around town, and even visit Huacachina.

We strongly recommend three days if you want to see the Nazca Lines by plane!

What is a good budget for Paracas?

Peru as a whole is a very affordable place to visit. However, Paracas is a little bit more pricey because there are so many tours and trips to pay for!

If you don’t plan on booking any tours, you can probably get away with a budget of £35-£40 per person, per day. To be honest, you’ll need to book at least a tour or two, so we’d recommend adjusting your budget depending on what you want to do.

Is it worth staying in Paracas?

If our list of things to do in Paracas hasn’t persuaded you to visit, we don’t know what will. Paracas is easily one of the best places you can stay in Peru despite being relatively remote!

There are tons of different things to do, lots of cool places to visit, a huge range of food and drink options, and the weather is almost always nice. What’s not to like?

In our opinion, the Ballestas Islands alone make Paracas a worthwhile place to stay!

What is interesting about Paracas?

What makes Paracas so interesting is probably the ancient Paracas civilization that once inhabited the town. This town was once home to an important prehistoric culture and civilization that existed between roughly 800 and 200 BCE.

This culture is recognized for its characteristic artwork, advances in irrigation technology, and intricate textiles. Of course, the town’s impressive landscapes, islands, and wildlife also make it a super interesting place to visit!

Where to go after Paracas

Due to its remote location, Paracas probably won’t be your first or last destination in Peru. Therefore, you could do to know where you can go next. Of course, where you choose to go will depend on where you’ve already been!

We mentioned earlier that we left Paracas to go back to Lima. For us, this is your best option because the bus only takes around 3.5 hours and you can then fly anywhere in Peru. We flew from Lima to Cusco so we could see Machu Picchu!

Other options for onward travel from Paracas include Pisco, Ica, Huacachina, Cusco, and Nazca. Just bear in mind that travelling to somewhere like Cusco from Paracas will take more than a day by bus because you can’t fly anywhere from the town!

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Paracas, Peru

There are plenty of awesome things to do in Paracas! Thanks to its location, you’ll have ample day trip opportunities too, including Huacachina, the city of Ica, and Pisco.

Whether you’re looking to spot wildlife, try out some watersports, or explore the local nature reserve, there’s something for everyone here! Paracas is also the perfect place to relax, as there are plenty of waterfront bars and restaurants to choose from, making it one of the best destinations in Peru.

If you have any questions about things to do in Paracas, then be sure to get in touch with us via Facebook, Instagram, or in the comments!

Here are some other Peru guides that you may find helpful:

• The Best Things to Do in Aguas Calientes
• Fun Things to Do in Cusco, Peru
• The Best Day Trips From Cusco
• Impressive Peruvian Landmarks

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