Islas Ballestas tour: first stop Huacachina oasis

Palm oasis and Pacific Ocean

This module begins and ends in Lima and offers a couple of days of complete rest and relaxation on the west coast of Peru, with a comfortable average daily temperature of 20C all year round. From December – April it’s warm and sunny and the sea temperature is perfect for swimming.

You'll travel from Lima to the palm oasis Huacachina in the middle of the towering sand dunes and visit the huge sea lion colonies of Islas Ballestas.

If you plan this module at the beginning of your Peru trip you can fly on to other parts of Peru or Bolivia. It’s also a great module to plan at the end of your trip so you can spend a couple of days relaxing before the long flight home.

Duration	4 days / 3 nights Minimum 2 people Departure Daily	Accommodation	Double room with shower/toilet in atmospheric posada with pool and garden. Comfort level 3 (see accommodation)
Price	£ per person - based on 2 people sharing Please enquire with our Travel Specialists for a price	Includes	Transport, 3 nights accommodation with breakfast, excursion Islas Ballestas with English-speaking guide
Transport	Transfer hotel Lima - bus station, scheduled bus Lima - Ica - Lima.	Excludes	Other entrance fees

Day 1 Lima - Ica - Huacachina

Depending on when you’re arriving in Lima, you’ll be picked at the airport or at your hotel and transferred to the bus station where your Islas Ballestas tour from Lima begins. If you’re returning to Lima you can leave some of your bags in storage at the station. We’ve booked your seat on the bus, so simply check in at the desk of the bus company as stated on your ticket. If you have any ‘check-in’ baggage (stored in the bottom of the bus) you’ll get a receipt. The bus leaves around 1pm.

As you drive out of the city, the populated suburbs slowly make way for a completely different rocky landscape.

Islas Ballestas Tour - Your accommodation

In about five hours you’ll drive across the desert-like landscape along the Pacific Ocean to the town of Ica. This is the heart of the Peruvian wine and pisco region. Pisco is the national drink of Peru, it’s a strong grape brandy mixed with egg white, sugar, lime and ice.

Arriving at Ica bus station you’ll arrange your own transfer to your hotel. This is easy to do yourself as you’ll greeted by scores of taxis, tico-taxis and collectivos waiting to take you wherever you need to go. It’s just 4km to Huacachina, so you’ll have no problem finding someone to take you there. Keep your eye on your belongings though; bus stations are notorious hang-outs for pickpockets.

In Huacachina you’ll be staying in a lovely little hideaway in the middle of the oasis. It’s a small hotel with a great atmosphere and friendly service. The pool is set in a tropical garden with flowers and palm trees.

Day 2 Huacachina

After breakfast you’ll be transferred to the small harbour of Paracas for your Islas Ballestas tour. The islands are famous for their unusual eroded rock formations (ballesta means arch) but particularly the unique birdlife.

The boat journey takes about 45 minutes, passing a huge figure of a candlebra carved into the rock face. It’s a small taster of what you’ll see at Nazca further on in your trip. As you approach the islands the noise of the barking sea lions gets louder and louder and you’re greeted by the unmistakeable acrid smell of bird droppings...

Animals rule on the Islas Ballestas; the little boats full of human outsiders will sail past the rocks but you won’t actually step on land. All around you you’ll see, hear and smell seals, iguanas, penguins, pelicans and many other water birds. Entire colonies of sea lions lie wallowing in the sun.

The boats return to Paracas around midday and we’ll arrange a transfer back to your hotel in Huacachina in time for lunch at one of the restaurants around the lagoon. Try the ceviche, a Peruvian specialty of raw fish marinated in lemon.

Day 3 Huacachina

You can spend today relaxing at the hotel enjoying the warm desert climate, or go wine tasting at one of the vineyards in the area. This is one of the top wine regions of Peru.

For a real thrill you can book a dune buggy ride through the sand dunes at the hotel reception. You can combine the buggy ride with another sandy activity; have a go at sand-surfing. It's like snowboarding but with, well, sand.

In the evening, you could take a romantic stroll through the fairytale oasis at sunset.

Day 4 Huacachina - Lima

We’ve booked a seat for you on the bus from Ica to Lima so all you need to do is show your ticket, then sit back and enjoy the view. It’s about five hours from Ica to Lima bus station where this Islas Ballestas tour ends. If you’d like a connecting transfer to the airport or to a hotel in Miraflores for an extra night in Lima please let us know in your Quote Request Form and we’ll take care of it for you.

Most of our travellers plan this module at the end of their trip, but if you want to see more of Peru you could pull on your hiking boots for a challenging trek around Huaraz, or fly on to Arequipa to explore the Colca Canyon.

Click here for the Quote Request Form

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