The islands have been called the “poor man’s Galapagos”. The Galapagos islands are on my bucket list and have been from when I first started my bucket list. I love photographing wildlife so when I found out about the Ballestas Islands, it was a definite on our list for our trip to Peru.
Getting There
The Ballestas Islands are a small group of islands (some are rocky outcrops) located off the coast of Peru. The islands are accessed from Paracas, a small resort town near Pisco. Paracas is just over 290 km south of Lima, the capital of Peru. This is about a 4 hour drive. We stayed the night in Pisco and travelled to Paracas. You can also stay in Paracas for the night or stay in Lima and arrange for a tour or transfer to Paracas.
You can get a day tour to the Ballestas Islands from Lima. Some of these tours include the Oasis in Huacachina and / or Paracas Reserve in Ica. Check prices and tours available if heading there for the day from Lima.
Once at Paracas, you head to the harbour and catch a boat from one of the tour companies operating the trip to the islands. The cost of the trip will depend on if you are heading to Paracas yourself of going on a tour from Lima. If you are in Paracas, budget on around US$25 to US$30 for the trip.
The round trip takes about 2 hours. While waiting for our boat we were able to spend some time on the beach along with the local pelicans.
Once on board our boat, we headed out for our trip. While slowly motoring out of the harbour, you get a great view of the old fishing boats.
The Boat Trip
You stay on the boat for the entire trip as the islands are protected and tourists are not permitted on them.
The first stop on our journey is the Paracas Candelabra.
It is estimated that the Paracas Candelabra dates back to 200BC, although it is possible that it is older. There has been a huge amount of speculation as to why this massive 181 meter or 595 feet glyph was constructed. The glyph is cut out of the hill and is 2 feet deep.
Some believe the glyph represents a lightning rod of the god Viracocha while others believe it is a representation of an hallucinogenic plant call Jimson weed. Or was it aliens? Whatever the reason it was created, it is an amazing sight.
Then we head to the rocky outcrops that are the Ballestas Islands and the amazing wildlife that calls these islands home.
There are thousands of birds on the islands which results in lots and lots of guano or bird droppings. The guano is harvested and sold for fertiliser.
The boat goes around various islands to see the wildlife and the spectacular formations of the islands.
The sea lions and seals were amazing. So many of them lazing around which gave great opportunities for photos.
And then there are more birds and of course the penguins that are so cute.
What You Need to Take With You
While the trip is only about 2 yours long, there are a few things I recommend that you take with you:
- A hat. With all the birds around you never know if you will become the victim of bird droppings or not. On a sunny day you will need it for shade as the boats are open. Also it can get quit windy and if you are like me with long hair a hat helps keep it under control.
- Sunscreen. The day we went out was overcast but you are in the open so sunscreen is important to not get sun burnt.
- A waterproof jacket. Firstly, it can get windy and cold so a jacket is important to keep warm. Secondly, as the boat is open, if it rains you will get wet. We didn’t get a lot of spray from the water.
- A telephoto lens for your camera. To give you an idea, my photos were taken with a zoom lens at 300mm and the photos were then cropped. If you have a DSLR a telephoto lens is a must.
- Binoculars. If you have a set of binoculars bring them with you for a better view.
- Waterproof bag. When on a boat it’s always good to have a bag that is water resistant or water proof. If you are taking a bag that isn’t at least water resistant, take a plastic bag to cover it (just make sure the plastic bag returns with you and doesn’t end up in the ocean).
It doesn’t matter which side of the boat you sit on either. The driver does a good job making sure he turns the boat to give everyone a good view. You are also given life jackets (obviously).
Recommendation
It is well worth the time to see the Ballestas Islands, especially if you are like me and love seeing wildlife in their natural habitat. Highly recommended.
The article contains links to products on affiliate sites. A commission may be paid to The Middle Age Wanderer should you purchase a product using these links.
Comments: 28
Peru has been on my list for quite some time. Would have never been interested in doing this on my own. Thanks for the recommendation
Peru is a great place to visit. So many different things to see. We also hiked the Inca Trail which was amazing.
Nature, wildlife and birds – just my kind of trip. As I’m in Europe, I’ve never really considered venturing to South America as I just balk at the idea of such a long flight – but this sounds idea.
Yes, everyone’s heard of the Galapagos, yet this trip sounds like its less touristy equivalent.
And that shape carved into the rocks – magnificent!
We live in Australia so pretty much anywhere we travel is a long flight. It was about 18 hours in transit including connecting flights for us. But long transit times are something we are used to. I still want to do the Galapagos as we can spend more time there and this is just the boat ride, but it is great to see and the wildlife is amazing.
Wow you got close to animals and took some nice shots! well done!
Thanks, but I did need to use a telephone lens as we were on the boat. But we did get reasonably close.
Wow! That’s spectacular. We’re aiming to be in South America in 2019, and that’s exactly the kind of thing I’d love to be doing. Liking the really useful hints and tips too.
Thanks Bernie. Peru is amazing. There is so much to see and the Ballestas Islands are a great short trip.
This definitely looks like the best place to spot wildlife – I love the shot with the seals,1
The wildlife was amazing and the seals were great because they were just lazing around.
Really reasonable price for a boat tour, you saw so much! Love the little fishing boats you passed and of course the seals are amazing!
The trip was great. Really enjoyed it and the wildlife was amazing.
The Galapagos islands are also on my buckrt list but I had no idea the Ballestas Islands existed. You capture the wildlife so beautifully (I seriously struggle photographing anything which moves)! Love a boat driver who gives equal opportunity to both sides of the boat.
The Galapagos are still on my bucket list too. But we just didn’t have times to get there so this was my alternative.
Wow, the seals (or the sea lions? :)) are sooooo cute! And the penguins. Thank you sooo much for those great photos, it feels like I almost saw it live!
Thanks Ana. I love wildlife photography and this was a perfect spot for it.
I never heard of this! I was in Peru last year and I so wish I had your awesome post back then because I would have totally done this. . This looks amazing. Love seeing wildlife. Those seals! Sounds like interesting history as well. Great post!
We had originally planned on visiting the Galapagos as well as Peru but just didn’t have time, so while researching both I found the Ballestas Islands. It’s a great short trip.
Very nice shots of the penguins. I visited here in in 2005. Doesn’t look like much has changed (except the price)!
Thanks.
Stunning photography, Galapagos island are on my list and I think the Ballestas islands have too!
Thank you. Galapagos are still on my bucket list.
This is so awesome! I love penguins 🙂 You’ve taken such great photos too, nice work!
Thanks! The wildlife is absolutely amazing.
I would love to visit this place! It’s really nice that they don’t let people on the island to protect the ecology. Wow, I’ve never seen a huge glyph like that. It’d be so neat to see all those birds (including penguins) along with sea lions. By the way, your wildlife photography is beautiful!
The glyph is huge and the birds, especially the penguins, are amazing. The seals and sea lions were great to photography too – they just wanted to sleep.
I’ve wanted to go to Peru ever since I read about it in National Geographic when I was a kid. They didn’t mention the islands, so I’m glad I’ve found them here! Now I know… Cheers!
When we visited Peru we also wanted to head up to the Galapagos but we just didn’t have time on that trip. So we did some research and discovered these islands. Well worth a visit.