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Sea Lions and Sand Dunes
Islas Ballestas & Huacachina 3-Day Wildlife Tour - Peru
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Prices from £355 pp
All prices exclude international flights at the start/end of your trip. Let us book flights for you.
3 days / 2 nights (flexible)
Lima - Islas Ballestas - Huacachina - Arequipa
Suitable for families
Overview
Sleep on the edge of a surreal desert lagoon, hurtle down giant sand dunes and sail around islands crammed with sea lions. Welcome to the curious, otherworldly coastline of Peru. Machu Picchu, the Andes and the Amazon might take all the glory, but this area of Peru takes the biscuit when it comes to bizarre. Travelling by private car and sleeper bus over 3 days, you can soak up the strange scenery at your own pace.
What's included
- Accommodation – price based on 2 people sharing
- Breakfast
- Private car & driver on day 1
- Ballestas Islands excursion (inc. entrance fee)
- Transfer to the bus station
- Overnight sleeper bus on day 2-3
Create your own holiday itinerary 1. Add at least 3 chosen trips to your travel plan 2. Send it our way 3. Our travel specialists will get planning and send you a quote
Location map
Your day-by-day itinerary
Lima - Islas Ballestas - Huacachina
This morning you’ll be picked up at your hotel in Lima by your private driver for the day, ready to set off along the atmospheric coastal road, often shrouded in an eerie sea mist. When you reach the small harbour of Paracas, you’ll hop on a boat bound for the Islas Ballestas. As you approach the islands you’ll be hit by a wave of barking noise and a serious whiff of sea lions. It’s a wildlife assault on the senses.
Peru’s answer to the Galapagos, these tiny islands are completely overrun by animals, from seals to iguanas and from pelicans to penguins. A riot of noise, activity, splashing and earthy smells, the islands are protected by law and reserved wholly for the wildlife. You’ll circle them by boat, passing just metres from basking sea lions. It’s a wonderful way to spend a morning.
Afterwards your driver will take you on to Huacachina, one of the most bizarre yet beautiful spots in Peru. Buried between giant sand dunes, Huacachina is a tropical oasis surrounding a lagoon. Your hotel is a real little hideaway, nestled amidst the palm trees and pastel-coloured houses lining the lagoon. Spend the afternoon ambling along the shores, swimming in the soothing water and trying some traditional cuisine.
Huacachina - Arequipa
You’ll have most of your second day free to explore Huacachina, sand-boarding down dunes or visiting the archaeological museum. For something different, drop in on the wineries and pisco-producing factories of Ica, just 4km up the road, and sit back with the national drink of Peru. When late afternoon rolls around, you’ll be transferred to nearby Ica, where you’ll board the overnight sleeper bus to Arequipa.
Combine this trip with
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