Ballestas by Boat
Move through island channels where sea lions, pelicans, cormorants and Humboldt penguins gather along rock faces shaped by wind, salt and Pacific swell.
In a remote corner of the Paracas Reserve, the mineral-rich ochre cliffs of the Golden Shadows Trek catch the low sun and seem to glow from within.
Private Luxury Tours in Paracas
Where chilly Pacific currents, salty ocean breezes and coastal dunes converge, Paracas is one of Peru’s most quietly spectacular coastal escapes. Adventures on land and sea entice, fueled by long lunches built around the day’s freshest ceviche.
Reserve by Land
Explore Paracas National Reserve by private vehicle, buggy, bike or on foot, with time for red beaches, cliff viewpoints and golden-hour desert roads.
Laguna La Palma
Slip inland to a private desert lagoon for paddleboards, quiet water, picnics on the dunes, and a 'lazy saturday afternoon' feeling any day of the week.
Ride a Quad ATV
Grasp the handlebars of your four-wheeler on a memorable route.
A Day of Biking
Experience the vast landscapes powered by your thigh muscles.
Explore the Paracas Reserve
The Paracas National Reserve is a massive, protected desert where ochre cliffs collapse into the Pacific, salt hangs in the wind, and empty roads disappear into surreal lunar landscapes. The scale surprises people. Distances stretch.
It can be explored calmly by private vehicle with a local guide who understands the terrain. This is the most efficient way to traverse the vastness.
Thrill seekers have numerous options to satisfy them: they can drive a mini-buggy or quad ATV, following well-worn paths through dunes, fossil beds and wind-carved coastline. When weather conditions cooperate, paragliding above the reserve with a pilot reveals the full geometry of Paracas.
Inside the reserve, the infrastructure is minimal, and luxury non-existent. Paracas rewards travelers who understand that miles of desolate roads and deep silence can be part of the experience too.
Further inland, visit the ruins of Tambo Colorado, straddling the outermost edges of the former Inca Empire. Built from sun-baked adobe and still marked by traces of red, white and yellow pigment, it was an imperial outpost watching over the Pisco Valley.
Ballestas Islands by Boat or Private Yacht Charter
Known as Peru’s miniature Galapagos, the Ballestas Islands offer some of the richest marine wildlife on South America’s Pacific coast, yet remain remarkably accessible from Lima and the desert coast.
We offer several ways to experience the islands, depending on the pace, privacy, and atmosphere desired. Classic shared departures are ideal for travelers seeking the essential wildlife circuit: sea lions draped across the rocks, pelicans gliding low over the water, flocks of cormorants and boobies, and Humboldt penguins gathered along the rocky islets.
Private Ballestas Islands excursions offer a quieter and more personal experience, reserved exclusively for your family or group. Travelers may choose between a standard speedboat or a premium vessel with a more powerful engine and onboard restroom facilities for additional comfort on the bay.
For those seeking a slower and more refined tone to the morning, private yacht excursions transform the atmosphere entirely. Champagne or local Pisco may be served onboard alongside light refreshments as the coastline drifts past in silence, broken only by seabirds and the sound of the Pacific.
The ocean sets the rhythm here, and a good guide knows when to depart, when to linger, and when to leave the day beautifully uncomplicated. We generally recommend visiting in the early morning, around 7:30 AM or 8:00 AM, when the sea lions and Humboldt penguins are at their most active and the bay is often at its calmest.
Anchored in the sheltered waters of the Paracas Bay, with the open ocean and edge of the peninsula beyond
The world-famous Nazca Lines
Enjoy extraordinary aerial views of this world-famous mystery with a flight from Pisco airport. The 12-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan is more sophisticated and modern than the smaller Cessnas in Nazca, and flying from this airport allows you to save many hours of travel.
Over the years, the team of DUNE & PACIFIC has developed certain rituals in Paracas. One of them is returning to Chalana, the bright and cheerful cevichería on the private pier at Hotel Paracas. The fish served there is sourced from the waters beyond the pier, before being cured in lime juice, salt, and aji limo mere hours after being caught.
Hidden Desert Oasis Appeal
Hidden among the dunes east of Paracas lies a privately owned desert lagoon rarely visited by outsiders.
Spend the afternoon walking the soft sand, swimming in the freshwater lagoon, or paddleboarding across still water surrounded by desert. A private picnic can be arranged at the water’s edge.
Near sunset, the wind quiets, the dunes turn gold, and the lagoon reflects the fading colors of the sky.
Paracas Orientation
Where the desert reaches the Pacific.
Paracas sits about three and a half hours south of Lima by private vehicle, where the Pan-American Highway drops toward Pisco and the coast opens into protected desert, bay water and reserve land. Minutes away, the airport in Pisco is a practical air gateway for scenic Nazca Lines flights. The landscapes of the region are surreal, shaped by wind, sand, and ocean over millions of years.
The strongest days here permit travelers to experience the contrast between the striking, desolate landscapes of the reserve, the cacophony of island wildlife, lime-soaked ceviche, paragliding when the wind allows, and the quiet surprise of a private desert lagoon.
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