Ballestas Islands: Marine Fauna and Desert Adventure

51 Ratings

Miraflores

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This one-day tour offers a unique experience on the Crossbow Islands, where you can admire a diverse range of marine life. Additionally, you will visit the Oasis of America, situated in the Ica desert, where you can enjoy adventure sports like buggy rides and sandboarding.

Duration: 17 hours, 10 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Miraflores - 04:00 a.m. – Meeting Point at Ibis Larco Miraflores
The adventure begins at 4:00 a.m. from the meeting point at Ibis Larco Miraflores, located at Av. José Larco 1140, Miraflores. The guide and bus will be ready outside the hotel. The exact time will be confirmed a day in advance. Maximum waiting time: 5 minutes. Please be punctual to…

Miraflores - 04:00 a.m. – Meeting Point at Ibis Larco Miraflores
The adventure begins at 4:00 a.m. from the meeting point at Ibis Larco Miraflores, located at Av. José Larco 1140, Miraflores. The guide and bus will be ready outside the hotel. The exact time will be confirmed a day in advance. Maximum waiting time: 5 minutes. Please be punctual to ensure a timely departure.
Malecon El Chaco - 08:00 AM: Lima – Paracas (3 Hours of Travel)
Arrive at the Port of Paracas by 8:00 a.m. There will be 30 to 40 minutes available for breakfast and restroom use (breakfast not included in the price).
Islas Ballestas - Paracas - 9:15 AM: Paracas – Check-in at the Port El Chaco (approximately 20 minutes)
At 9:00 a.m., form a line to board the modern boats. Due to logistical considerations at the port, expect a wait of 10 to 20 minutes before boarding. It is recommended to bring sunscreen, a sun hat, and a waterproof jacket.

09:30 AM: Ballestas Islands (1 hour and 30 minutes)
Experience the natural beauty of the Ballestas Islands, a haven of marine life along the Peruvian coast. Explore waters rich with marine fauna, observe exotic birds in their natural habitat, and immerse in the vibrant marine biodiversity.

Ica - Continuing the journey, arrive in ICA around 13:00 hours and proceed to the restaurant Cultur Pisco.

13:00 HRS: Restaurant Cultur Pisco (1 hour)
Enjoy time for lunch (menu not included in the price).

14:00 HRS: Winery Cultur Pisco
Cultur Pisco is a renowned pisco winery in the Ica region of Peru, celebrated for its production of pisco, the Peruvian grape spirit. Visitors can taste the products and learn about the pisco production process.

Huacachina - 15:30 HRS: Arrival at the Huacachina Oasis – Free Time
Arrive at Huacachina and enjoy 40 minutes of free time to explore and appreciate this stunning oasis. Huacachina is a famous spot in the Ica Desert, Peru, known for its lagoon surrounded by towering sand dunes.

16:30 HRS: Huacachina Oasis – Buggies and Sandboard (2 hours and 30 minutes)
The highlight of this adventure is visiting the Huacachina Oasis, located just 5km from Ica’s city center. Visitors can enjoy the serene environment, capture beautiful photos, admire the magical sunset, and engage in adventure sports like buggies and sandboarding (lasting approximately 2 hours).

Lima - 18:30 HRS: Ica – Lima
Finally, depart from Ica to Lima, arriving between 22:30 and 23:00 hours.

What's Included

Hotel pickup included
Guided by a professional tour guide
Air-conditioned transportation
No extra fees or taxes
Engage in thrilling adventure sports
Complimentary wine and pisco tasting

What's Not Included

Lunch
Breakfast
Dinner
Pick up from your Hotel or Airbnb

Location

ibis Lima Larco Miraflores

Avenida José Larco

The meeting point will be outside the hotel. Our guide and bus will be waiting 5 minutes before the confirmed time (notified 1 day before). Maximum 5 minutes tolerance. Please make sure you arrive on time.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.5

(51 Ratings)

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Haileyg853

Mar 16, 2025

Amazing!!! - Amazing experience!!! Would recommend to everyone, it was a long day but our guide made the experience so easy and enjoyable. 10/10!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Marissa_h

Feb 23, 2025

Book it! - Very long day but worth it. It was a very organized pickup with constant updates via WhatsApp. 3 hour drive to Ballesta Islands, straight to breakfast (not included). Island boat ride was great! Captain gave plenty of time for both sides of the boat to take photos and see wildlife. Knowledgeable crew! We tasted chocolate at a nearby souvenir shop- no official speech or details. We did have a short presentation about the alpaca wool. Lunch was good (pay separate), made for large parties. Pisco tour and tasting was a lot of fun! The sand dunes were definitely the highlight. You are not able to drive the buggies but they go FAST and it is a wild ride!!! We had time after for body surfing down the dunes on the sand boards. We had a blast and left very sandy! The sunset was gorgeous! Make sure to carry as little valuables as possible for this. 4 hour ride home makes for a long day but very awesome experience!

Review provided by Viator

Sayaka_in_paradise

Jan 27, 2025

Great Value! Recommended Day Tour from Lima - This tour is an absolute must! You start early in the morning from Lima and head to Ballestas Islands, followed by pisco and wine tasting, and end at the Huacachina Oasis for dune buggy rides and sandboarding. At Ballestas Islands, you take a couple-hour boat tour where you can spot whales, the Nazca Lines, sea lions, and penguins. The nearby town is charming, and you can walk around to buy souvenirs. Next, you head to Ica to enjoy a beautiful sunset while trying a variety of pisco and wines. Lunch is also included here. Finally, you visit the incredible Huacachina Oasis, surrounded by endless desert dunes. You get to ride dune buggies for an exhilarating experience and try sandboarding—it’s unforgettable! This tour is absolutely worth it! We chose to stay overnight and arranged a private car to return to Lima the next day, but most people head back the same day. Highly recommend it!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Ross_s

Oct 23, 2024

Stunning Views and Great Experience Sand Boarding! - From start to finish the tour was well organised and instructions clearly given via Whatsapp. We started with a simple boat tour at Paracas followed by the sand dunes at Huacachina. The rides on the sand buggy’s was thrilling and fun and the sand boarding experience was great too! Ended the day with beautiful sunset pics on the sand dunes.

Review provided by Viator

Damion_m

Sep 28, 2024

Great tour - The tour was true to the package description, our tour guide was great alot of knowledge and very helpful and make the trip fun. HIGHLY RECOMMEND a must do on my next trip back.

Review provided by Viator

Pravasi

Jun 25, 2024

Awesome tour. - Full day almost 16 hours tour. Though a long drive the Ballestas Island and Huacachina experience was awesome. Specially the time in the sand dunes was great. Wish we got more description of Candelabra in the Island tour.

Review provided by Viator

Ivanaceres

Feb 10, 2024

Excellent company - Peru Hop company met expectations, being organized, meeting schedules, with comfortable buses. Highlight for our guide Arturo, who was always available, attentive and polite. Excellent professional. Highlight for our driver, who drove us responsibly and safely.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Boardingpass637046

Sep 12, 2023

Outdoor adrenaline and cultural adventure awaits you - It was an exhilarating , adrenaline fun filled day with a great group of people and our guide Nilo Lex! Totally enjoyed the Ballestas Islands cruise to see penguins, seals, sea lions and dolphins and many birds. The Pisco Winery was informative on how they made wine centuries ago vs now and we tasted many types of Pisco...delicious and a little tipsy after. Finally we arrived at the dunebuggying/ sandboarding Oasis in the desert Huacachina as Nilo called it. It was like a roller coaster in the sand st 80 to 200km with 3 stops to sand board and watch the sunset 🌇. Very soft sand and beautiful valley! I highly recommend this and our crazy( but safe ) driver Pepe!

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Rebecca

May 9, 2023

Value and Quality for the Price, for sure - This was an unforgettable experience. The tour guide was so amazing and communicative - the ride was long (3 hours), but once you’re there, they ensure you have a worthwhile day. We tasted chocolate from the locals, saw hundreds of wild birds, dolphins, and sea lions. We even got lucky and they found 2 penguins! The atacoma desert was the highlight where our driver drove through a track on the sand dunes. It didn’t feel over crowded and made for the best photos you could ask for. Our guide let us watch the sun set on the dunes!! Not to mention the AMAZING high quality dining experience at the winery - such delicious wines and the best food we had ALL WEEK.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Adrian

Nov 22, 2022

No call, no show - The bus never picked me up or called. I was very disappointed as I waited 45 minutes outside. I waited outside the hotel pickup area. I was the only one out there for 45 mins. No one has contacted me still

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Check Availability

From $75

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult