We really loved this boat trip. The tour felt organised and professional. We took an Uber from Lima for a good price and met in the cafe in Callao( there is no sign or office but the organisers were looking out for arrivals. ) There were toilets in the cafe and at the harbour which you could use before and after the tour. Alex was a great guide with good English and Spanish. We saw penguins, and we swam with so many sea lions who were really curious and friendly. It was amazing, they come up close to check you out but it did not feel frightening at all. You are provided with shortie wet suits and life jackets. I was reassured to hear that the wildlife and islands are protected and there are strict rules for tour operators so I didn’t feel this was in any way environmentally unsafe. Just a tip bring your own waterproof phone case- we got great videos as unsurprisingly the $2 one sold by the locals fell apart in minutes! This was a fabulous tour. We booked in advance and also arranged for the tour operator to pick us up from the main bus station . The office, cafe for breakfast and bathroom facilities where you start and finish are in a slightly obscure scruffy tiny business park on the outskirts of Ica but are quite chic and very clean. The sand buggies were reassuringly chunky ( ours took about 10 passengers) and had great suspension ( which was a relief as I have a bad back and wasn’t sure it was a good idea). The drivers were great with just the right amount of thrills vs safety provided and they seemed to go further into the desert away from the hoards of buggies around Huacachina for a reasonably quiet and beautiful sunset. We loved the boarding and tried both sitting and head first. Recommend a scarf to protect from wind blown sand and sunglasses are a must! The camp was so delightful and well planned so although others were there you had your own sitting area and table for food- great touches like an open fire, welcome snack tray etc. Nice barbq food and wine. The beds were super comfy and the desert at night was amazing. A few tips/ thoughts. We didn’t quite know what to expect and it would be good to have an introductory explanation of the activities on arrival. ( although was well described in the web site). Perhaps a little surprising not to have a safety briefing about the buggies and various activities. We also had not realised we needed to only bring a small overnight bag as it had to fit in to the buggy (ok perhaps we were a little silly!) rather than our carry on size suitcases. It wasn’t a problem though, they waited for us to repack and kept our cases. Final tip is they only provide a small bottle of water each at the campsite so bring some extra. The breakfast and showers back at base were great and they organised a taxi for us and kindly sorted a card payment for it as we were out of cash ! Overall a great tour, definitely recommend.

This was an INCREDIBLE experience. I highly recommend this tour. The team were very professional on the day of the trip. They were also very responsive to my messages prior to the day of the experience. If you have the opportunity, do this adventure!!!

Amazing experience seeing wildlife and swimming with the sea lions! From start to finish we appreciated this experience with a very professional company.

I have no problem in giving this firm five stars. I rate good tours 3 or 4 and outstanding tours 5. They definitely deserve a 5 stars. From the time we climbed aboard the boat until we climbed out, it was an exciting (in a good way) adventure. We were part of a cruise ship planned excursion with a mix of young (10 year old young man) and old. The excursion recommended if we wanted to swim with the sea lions to have our swim suits on and bring towels. We had the Captain, Julio our Guide and assistant (my apologies for not remember everyone's name) Upon boarding the first request was to put on our life jackets. The crew assisted as they could in ensuring everyone was wearing the jackets properly and that we were comfortable. Julio Andres continuously gave us a running dialog of what we will be seeing and when arrived what we did see. And we saw plenty from hundreds of sea lions to colonies of Humboldt Penguins. The second part was the ability to swim with the sea lions. The company provided shorties wet suits (I think 7 MM) and a different life jacket. Julio gave us comprehensive instructions on how to swim with them and was in the water with us. He kept us together, ensuring that we were not too cold (Pacific waters in Peru is very cold. ) And under his own choice, he took several pictures of us individually while we were with the sea lions. For me, he emailed pictures to my address. And this was a courtesy. A snack and water was provided for this excursion. This was one of the best few hours that I can remember. Swimming with the sea lions was a Christmas gift come true. An outstanding company.

Amazing experience! Rodrigo was an excellent tour guide. The water was super cold so you need to be brave if you want to go into the water. You can stay on the boat and still have a great experience being up close with the sea lions.

Very cool to swim with the sea lions. Just take an uber to the meeting spot, bring a towel, sunscreen and change of clothes. We saw penguins and many sea birds in addition to thousands of friendly sea lions. Tour company did a good job speaking in English and Spanish.

Overall I experience was amazing. Learned about the islands and the history and then got to see the beautiful sea-lions which was an amazing experience. The water is cold but they provided wet suits. Would recommend buying waterproof cover for your phone so you can take pictures. Our guide Julio was amazing he spoke in both English and Spanish and had so much patience and knowledge. Thank you for a wonderful experience.

Unforgettable experience of swimming in the ocean with sea lions! Everything was well organized starting from meeting everybody, guiding, telling some interesting facts about Peru, Islands, animals on our way to the seal lions island. And then advising on how to better approach the lions and how to get t the most from this experience. The lions were so close to us that they explored and touched us! The guide took photos of us in the water with the lions. Highly recommend these guys!

This was an amazing excursion from Lima. We were able to fit it in on our way home from Cusco where we completed the 4-day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. We booked the Palomino Islands Sea Lion tour with the real hope of seeing Humboldt penguins (not a guarantee) - and we did get to see the pinguinos!!! It was amazing. Our guide and boat captain were also amazing. There was no pressure to chnage into wet suits and swim with the Sea Lions, but most of the attendees did and seemed to enjoy it. We booked directly with Mar Adentro Excursiones and it was confusing to find the departure site and to understand who were real staff and who were vendors trying to sell us items. We had been warned that the port was not a safe place to be wandering around. Thank goodness for other reviewers who helped with details. You meet up at the port and the location is listed as Calle La Mar 229 - Callao. You actually meet in the El Nakary restaurant (use the bathroom there). Once everyone was ready and all the forms completed, we headed to the boat together. Once the tour was complete, everyone dispersed after disembarking and we were on our own to find our way back to the restaurant and our transportation back to Lima.

This was a great tour! Definitely worth the money. Our guide, Julio, and captain, Segundo, were extremely kind and knowledgeable.

Amazing experince. Towels must be included and not for sales and the diving suits should be for all sizes, including children. But still a unique adventure.

Very well organised and professional tour. Great opportunity to swim with sea lions if you wish to. The company will provide all the gear as well.

This tour was one of the most exhilarating experiences I've ever had! Swimming with the sea lions was truly unforgettable—they were curious yet kept a respectful distance. Although the water was freezing cold, it was worth every second for such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our guide, Julio, was both funny and informative, sharing interesting facts about the different areas and wildlife along the way. And our captain, Segundo, made sure we arrived safely for this incredible adventure.

This is a once in a lifetime experience! It was wild getting so close to these adorable animals. They are like little puppies waiting for you to jump in and play with them. Top three things I did in Peru. 100% would recommend. Also...id recommend this instead of a ballestas island tour. You get way more out of this tour. O and our guide was fantastic and took great pics and videos of each of us. Everyone had a great time.

One of the highlights of my trip to Peru! A must-do for anyone spending time in Lima. The tour was well-organized, and everything went really smoothly. I never thought I would have the opportunity to swim with sea lions in the ocean, but now I can check it off my buck list!