Full day
Lima – Paracas – Ballestas Islands – Ica – Huacachina – Lima
Departure from Lima: at 4:00 a.m., the Flamenco Travel team will pick you up at your hotel or lodging in Miraflores, Barranco or San Isidro. The drive to Paracas on the Pan-American Highway South takes about 4 hours. Along the way you'll see the sunrise and watch the city give way to the coastal desert.
El Chaco Port: around 8:00 a.m. we'll arrive at El Chaco Port in Paracas. You'll have about 30 minutes to have breakfast on your own and use the restrooms.
Ballestas Islands and the Candelabra: from the pier we'll set off by boat to the Ballestas Islands, known for their marine life and their rock formations shaped by wind and sea. Depending on what's there that day, you may see sea lions and birds such as pelicans, boobies and gulls. On the way you'll pass the Paracas Candelabra, a mysterious geoglyph drawn in the sand. The boat trip takes about 1 hour 30 minutes.
Drive to Ica and pisco winery: back at El Chaco we'll take a short break, then drive about 1 hour 30 minutes to the city of Ica. There we'll visit a craft pisco winery to learn how Peru's national drink is made. Afterward you'll have free time to have lunch on your own.
Huacachina oasis: dune buggies and sandboarding: in the afternoon we'll reach the Huacachina oasis, surrounded by huge dunes in the middle of the desert. At 5:00 p.m. you'll climb into the dune buggies to ride across the dunes with expert drivers, taking in panoramic views of the oasis. Then you'll try sandboarding down the sand. The activity lasts an hour, and when it ends you can enjoy the sunset sky over the desert.
Return to Lima: at 6:00 p.m. we'll head back to Lima, arriving at your hotel or lodging around 10:00 p.m.
