Your Travel Experience with Finest Journeys
Paracas and the Coast
After your flight to Lima and transfer to Paracas, you have the afternoon and evening free to relax at your hotel. The Paracas Bay Reserve, established in 1975 and covering 340,000 hectares, protects both marine and bird life. Located 15 km south of Pisco on the Paracas Peninsula, the reserve is home to millions of seabirds like flamingos, pelicans, and Humboldt penguins, all sustained by the rich Pacific fishing grounds. The reserve also houses a museum showcasing textiles and funerary bundles of the Paracas culture (c.700 BC), known for their advanced weaving and fascinating mummies with trepanned skulls, evidence of their medical practices. Interestingly, guano, the fertilizer made from seabird droppings, was once Peru's main source of income, with vast quantities exported to Europe in the mid-19th century.