Paracas National Reserve
Paracas National Reserve
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Duration: 1-2 hours
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4.0
33 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
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Terrible
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1234texas
Seabrook, TX5,271 contributions
Mar 2020
The coastline is very nice....a welcome relief from the drive through the desert. The area is barren and stark. We took a quick stop here and did not get a chance to really explore it. Perhaps if we had more time....
Written 28 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ozarkers
Bonne Terre, MO106 contributions
Aug 2019
The Peruvian desert is, I understand, a northern extension of the Atacama, and therefore the real deal - as dry as it gets. Here, the desert bumps right up against the Pacific in a juxtaposition that demands your attention. The colors are subtle, slowly working their way into consciousness. The beauty sticks with you. Take a 4wd and have some fun off road. A tip: Have lunch at La Tia Fela on the red beach.
Written 13 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Footsac
Comox, Canada354 contributions
Jan 2019 • Couples
driving through a bleak desert is not what everyone thinks is a great experience, but the stops to see the rugged coastline, the stark reality of the desert and the modern tourist features with explanations and walkways and view points all make for a good experience
Written 15 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David M
Arequipa, Peru24 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
When I saw that there was a national reserve in Paracas I wanted to see it. The reality is that it is the most desolate spot that I have ever been. There isn't a blade of grass, tree or bush on the whole reserve. Still, there is beauty in the harshness of the land and lonely stretches of coasts devoid of people.
Written 18 October 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aqwn2be
Las Vegas, NV133 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
Miles of sandy area and beach. Lots of birds to see and beautiful Penguins too. The view is breathtaking especially watching the ocean meet the sand. You need a guide here to give you the history of the area.You cannot get too close to the wildlife but a camera with a good zoom lens is a good investment for this trip and others in Peru.
Written 14 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve F
Guelph, Canada168 contributions
Oct 2016 • Couples
The Reserve is fantastic. Miles and miles of sand with clumps of salt poking through. We had a great guide named Diago. Our first stop was a beach area where we encountered some pairs of Oyster Catchers. In fact, Diago found a couple of eggs in a hollow in the sand. Just the way our sandpipers lay their eggs. We looked, then backed away to let the birds have their peace. In the distance we saw flocks of Turkey Vultures and Pelicans.
The second spot overlooked a large bay that had a large fishing fleet. Apparently they were allowed to work from the Reserve in exchange for looking after the area. For example keeping fishermen from using dynamite for killing fish. Here I got some good shots of Turkey Vultures riding the thermals. Sometimes they were only 10 Meters or so away.
Our last stop was at the visitors center where Diago talked about the area. That 10% of Peru is desert along the coast that is actually seabed forced up by the same tectonic plate collision that formed the Andes.. Thirty percent of Peru is those same Andes mountains and the remaining 60 percent is the jungle. Interestingly 60 percent of the population is in the desert area ( Lima has a population of 12 million) the rest is in the mountains and jungle. In fact Diago told us of a recently discovered tribe in the jungle, naked, blowpipe wielding natives then called No Contact tribe. The government protects the tribe’s privacy. Way cool.
We also learned that there had been tribes living in this desert area who buried their dead in fetal position in the sand. Over 200 mummies had been discovered.
Historically, fossils revealed that there had been giant, Megladons (giant sharks) The Reserve, in recent times, protects Penguins Blue footed Boobies, 4 species of Sea Turtles and Condors.
The second spot overlooked a large bay that had a large fishing fleet. Apparently they were allowed to work from the Reserve in exchange for looking after the area. For example keeping fishermen from using dynamite for killing fish. Here I got some good shots of Turkey Vultures riding the thermals. Sometimes they were only 10 Meters or so away.
Our last stop was at the visitors center where Diago talked about the area. That 10% of Peru is desert along the coast that is actually seabed forced up by the same tectonic plate collision that formed the Andes.. Thirty percent of Peru is those same Andes mountains and the remaining 60 percent is the jungle. Interestingly 60 percent of the population is in the desert area ( Lima has a population of 12 million) the rest is in the mountains and jungle. In fact Diago told us of a recently discovered tribe in the jungle, naked, blowpipe wielding natives then called No Contact tribe. The government protects the tribe’s privacy. Way cool.
We also learned that there had been tribes living in this desert area who buried their dead in fetal position in the sand. Over 200 mummies had been discovered.
Historically, fossils revealed that there had been giant, Megladons (giant sharks) The Reserve, in recent times, protects Penguins Blue footed Boobies, 4 species of Sea Turtles and Condors.
Written 9 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BrentandJoan S
Victoria, Canada87 contributions
Jul 2019 • Family
We took the excursion offered by Peru Hop, we visited 3 stops. This coastline was beautiful, definitely recommend visiting this area.
Written 28 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rhonda e
Savannah, GA20 contributions
Jun 2019 • Business
My coworker and I had no idea what to expect when we signed up to ride ATVs in the Paracas National Reserve. We both had a blast. Yes it is desolate like being on the surface of Mars but that was really cool. Put that scenery against the stunning ocean views and it was so unique. Two and a half hours. We had the option of private car, 2 person dune buggy or solo ATV. The ATV was the best choice for sure. We went at 4 making sure we were at Red beach for sunset. Wow!!!! Our guide was so great. Only spoke limited English (he was Venezuelan) but was so gracious and took tons of pics. Highly recommend.
Written 27 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rmody26
New Jersey129 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
This is just outside the town of Paracas but again something well worth a visit.This is a huge park and at first mostly desert, sand and beach/cliffs. There are set points- fossil walks, lookout over an old fallen down arch, black beach.The view is breathtaking especially watching the ocean meet the sand.Our guide was Jonathan from Haku Travels ( through Viator) and very knowledgable and information about the Park as well as the Museum there. There isn't a blade of grass, tree or bush on the whole reserve.This is the driest desert in the world and 30-40 million years ago it was all ocean during the ice age.Amazing history.Miles and miles of sand with clumps of salt poking through
Written 7 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dixiepeach
Kansas City, MO9,508 contributions
Dec 2018 • Couples
We took a bus tour here from our cruise ship. We were driven to several points where we got out to look at the ocean. There were very few birds around and no marine animals at all. Near the museum there were flamingoes but they were so far away you had to use your imagination to see them. The desert here is not nearly as interesting as other parts of the Atacama Desert. For us it was a waste of time and money.
Written 20 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo, Is it possible to visit paracas national reserve (el candelabro) on your own (with hired car) or is it only possible on an organised tour?
Thanks!
Hola, ¿es posible visitar la reserva nacional de paracas (el candelabro) por su cuenta (con auto alquilado) o solo es posible en un recorrido organizado?
Gracias!
Written 8 December 2019
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