Located off the coast of Paracas in Peru, Ballestas Islands are often referred to by many as the poor man’s Galapagos. An island sanctuary for many animals, Ballestas Islands are only accessible by boat and many tour operators run hourly tours from Paracas. But do Ballestas Islands really compare to Galapagos, or are they spectacular enough to be their own amazing attraction?
I was able to visit the Ballestas Islands whilst traveling through Peru with Peru Hop. Paracas is one of the locations on the Peru Hop itinerary and passengers are able to purchase a 2 hour Ballestas Island tour through the company for the very affordable price of USD$17.
Upon arrival in Paracas with Peru Hop, those of us doing the Ballestas Islands tour were taken directly to the dock to meet our tour operators.
We were greeted by a lovely tour guide who spoke both English and Spanish. The boats waiting for us were reasonably new and comfortable, with everyone required to wear a life jacket whilst on board.
The islands are approximately 45 minutes from Paracas and I suggest applying a lot of sunscreen and bringing a hat. The sun is intense even in the morning, with many of my fellow passengers suffering from sunburn later in the day.
As soon as we arrived at the Islands I was immediately surprised by the amount of animals all around us. Sea lions, penguins, crabs and millions of birds were everywhere and being in a boat we were able to get extremely close to all of them.
The boat cruised through tunnels in the rocks and past a sea lion beach, giving us a chance to see them both in and out of the water.
I hadn’t realised the islands were mainly rocky structures in the middle of the sea, not inhabited by people at all. There is no opportunity to get out of the boat and explore the islands on foot, however the boats navigate the rocky outcroppings with ease, giving passengers an up close view of everything.
On one island it’s mainly sea lions, on the next hundreds of penguins bask themselves in the sun, whilst on the next there is a combination of flying sea birds, sea lions, penguins, crabs and hundreds of barnacles.
Whilst navigating the waves and islands, thousands of birds fly overhead, more than I’ve ever seen in my life or expected to see. Life is everywhere in these islands and it is a wonder of nature that some rocky land in the middle of the sea can support such a huge variety and amount of life. The animals of Ballestas Islands flourish and thrive in the uniquely suited environment.
So are the Ballestras Islands the poor man’s Galapagos? I don’t think so. Whilst the tour only visits a a small area of the islands with amazing wildlife, they’re an impressive attraction for everyone and I think it’s unfair for people to compare them to the Galapagos. Whilst I couldn’t set foot on land and explore, the quantities of birds I saw alone was impressive enough for me. And for the USD$17 tour price, I think everyone who is in the area would be crazy to not go out and see this environmental wonder for themselves.
Leave A Comment