Our second trip in Peru took us south to the desert, national parks and vineyards of Paracas, Huacachina, and Ica. Our plan was to stay three nights in the nation reserve of Paracas, but we ran into some trouble on the way there that kept us in the town of Paracas for one night. After our one night stay in the town of Paracas, we set out to Islas Ballestas for a two hour tour of the islands and seas to the North-West of Paracas National Reserve park. Here we saw sea lions of all sizes, penguins who were barely visible due to their camouflage appearance, thousands of birds whose guano is harvested by the ton from the surrounding islands, and the Paracas Candelabra (or Candelabra of the Andes) which is said to be a prehistoric geoglyph which may date back to 200 BCE. The Candelabra is nearly 600 feet tall and is dug into the soil/sand two feet deep. Very impressive to see this in person, it has made me want to see the Nazca lines which can be found further south. Maybe in another post…
After two nights of camping, we proceeded to the dunes of Huacachina; a small town built around a natural oasis near the city of Ica. We did the best and only things to do in the dunes there; a one hour buggy ride through the massive rolling dunes, followed by sandboarding and watching a stunning sunset.
We also made the trip to Tacama Vineyard near Ica, one of south America’s oldest vineyards and arguably the best one in Peru. The tour was extensive, very informative, and in Spanish, but I made due with my minimal understanding of the language. It is said that the methods used at Tacama are some of the oldest and most used in the world and very well may have originated in this secluded and stunning vineyard in the 16th century.
After our amazing journey to the south of Lima, we headed back on the Panamericana Sur towards Lima and stopped in one of the many surf towns near Asia called Cerro Azul. The waves here never cease to amaze me, every small town is a surf town along the southern shore.
Dan Buchanan 