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Ballestas Islands Boat Tour: Explore Wildlife Sanctuary on Peruvian Coast
4.8
297 Ratings
Paracas
Embark on a thrilling boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, a wildlife sanctuary on the Peruvian coast. Observe sea lions, silly birds, pelicans, penguins, and other seabirds in their natural habitat.
Embark on a thrilling boat tour to the Ballestas Islands, a wildlife sanctuary on the Peruvian coast. Observe sea lions, silly birds, pelicans, penguins, and other seabirds in their natural habitat.
Duration:
2 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- The Chandelier - We stop after navigating 10 minutes to be able to carefully appreciate a northern point of the Paracas peninsula. Where you can look at, photograph and film the Chandelier where the tour guide will briefly explain about the measurements, materials from the area and their possible origin.
- Islas Ballestas - The navigation…
- The Chandelier - We stop after navigating 10 minutes to be able to carefully appreciate a northern point of the Paracas peninsula. Where you can look at, photograph and film the Chandelier where the tour guide will briefly explain about the measurements, materials from the area and their possible origin.
-
Islas Ballestas - The navigation continues and after approximately 15 minutes from the Chandelier you will arrive at the Ballestas Islands where you will have 30 minutes to appreciate a great biodiversity thanks to the Humboldt current and the upwelling phenomenon as well as other factors such as the sun and winds. Bird watching lovers will find a large number of these such as: seagulls, boobies, cormorants, pelicans, vultures and Humboldt penguins. Crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, seaweed and others will also be seen.
Definitely the highlight of the Ballestas Islands Tour are the sea lions who steal everyone’s attention due to their curious behavior (they sleep, “pose for the cameras”, or simply socialize and live without problems because they occupy the top of the food chain in the area without natural predators).
The return, of about 40 minutes of navigation, becomes relaxing and enjoying the sea breeze is a natural anti-stress.
What's Included
- Lifejacket
- Official Tourism Guide
- Lifejacket
- Official Tourism Guide
What's Not Included
- Snacks
- Admission fees
- Snacks
- Admission fees
Additional Information
The journey to Ballestas Islands starts from El Chaco’s artisan and tourist pier. Our sea vessel carrying 02 outboard engines will shuttle us to the amazing Ballestas Islands, home to the most significant wildlife refuge on Peru’s coastline, where a variety of marine creatures such as sea lions, goofy birds, pelicans, penguins, and other oceanic birds…
The journey to Ballestas Islands starts from El Chaco’s artisan and tourist pier. Our sea vessel carrying 02 outboard engines will shuttle us to the amazing Ballestas Islands, home to the most significant wildlife refuge on Peru’s coastline, where a variety of marine creatures such as sea lions, goofy birds, pelicans, penguins, and other oceanic birds can be seen.
Undoubtedly, the true gems of the Ballestas Islands tour are the sea lions, drawing all eyes due to their interesting antics (sleeping, ‘modeling for the cameras’, or simply cohabiting without disputes as they sit at the top of the regional food chain with no natural enemies).
Location
Travel agency Paracas Explorer
We will meet at our office 30 minutes in advance, to go to the dock to board. It is a 2-minute walk away.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(297 Ratings)
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Brian
Jul 25, 2025
Great boat trip, with large boat, covered roof with English/Spanish guide. - My tour was booked with Andrea of Paracas Explorer. I recommend this company. There are 3 or 4 agents, free coffee, they accept credit cards and lots of seats and tables while waiting for your tour pickup.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
C9773ozbriano
Jul 24, 2025
- Great service and helpful. Paracas Express uses their own buses. I was able to get my jacket left on bus the following day
Review provided by Tripadvisor
N8360ibchristinek
Jul 19, 2025
Fun boat ride! - Awesome to see the candelabra, esp since we will miss seeing the Nazca lines. The guide was wonderful! Knowledgeable of so much history and interesting facts! Our guide was Ricardo!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jamie
Jul 18, 2025
Tour - Ricardo was a brilliant guide and very knowledgeable. The tour was great and got to see loads of wildlife. Highly recommend
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rachel
Jul 18, 2025
Great boat trip - Great morning boat tour. Very friendly and informative guide. We saw penguins, sea lions, dolphins and lots of birds. We loved it. Thank you
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Y9947yplaurap
Jul 12, 2025
Have a good trip - It is beautiful to see so much naturalization and animals like sea lions, dolphins, penguins and birds.
Andrea took great care of us, she made sure we got to our boat.
Thank you!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tom
Jul 11, 2025
Great visit to the islands - The tour was great, we could see sea lions but also see dolphins and penguins. The islands are beautiful and the boat brings nearby to see them well. Great pilot and a golden guide with a lot of humor, which gives interesting information. Thank you very much!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Boisekitty55
Jul 9, 2025
Do it, it's great! - A wonderful and exciting adventure! The Paracas Explorer office staff were friendly and helpful, and made it very easy for me, walking me right up to the line at the boat tour pier. The captain made sure that everyone on board got a good look at whatever sight we were at, maneuvering the boat accordingly. The tour guide presented information in both Spanish and English, adding to our enjoyment. The islands were rough and rocky and beautiful, we saw many kinds of birds, even Humboldt penguins! This is not the season to see many sea lions, but we stopped to see a few resting that were on a buoy, so that was a treat. The Candelabra geoglyph was mysterious and amazing to finally witness, after seeing photos of it since my childhood. This is by far a must-do activity when in the Paracas area.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jbacon84
Jul 4, 2025
Great few hours on the water to see wildlife - It was a fun couple hours to go out on the boat. We got to see an interesting nesca line of a chandelier/ cactus. We then went to several islands and saw some interesting birds. We were lucky to see some penguins coming down the cliffs to go into the water. We also saw some sea lions and dolphins. Our guide Oscar was very informative and are driver Jaime/Jimmy was really great as well. He made it a smooth ride and always made sure we were able to get good views of whatever we were spotting from both sides of the boat. Oscar was great at going back and forth between Spanish and English to ensure everyone can understand. After getting seasick on a boat in lake Titicaca and on a bus between there and here, we were a little nervous but everyone felt great. Would definitely recommend if you're in the area
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Felixdavid12
Jul 3, 2025
An Unforgettable Experience with Oscar and Team! - Our tour with Oscar and his driver was amazing! Oscar was incredibly knowledgeable and explained everything about the island, its wildlife, and their behaviors in great detail. He made sure we understood and saw everything clearly. One unforgettable moment was seeing whales—thanks to Oscar’s keen understanding of animal behavior, he anticipated it perfectly. His passion and insight made the whole experience unforgettable. Highly recommend this tour if you want an engaging, educational, and truly special adventure!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
