Paracas

I stayed in Paracas in the spring of 2007 and thought it was a lovely little coastal town. A lot of tourists come here for boat tours of the Ballestas Islands, which are worthwhile, but most are day-trippers and so at night it’s got a chill, local feel. Great ceviche, obviously. Another main attraction was the La Cathedral rock formation, which sadly fell into the sea during the huge earthquake later that year. I hear that the town of Paracas was very badly hit as well, so I can only speak to my pre-earthquake visit.

does the guano stink or what

Paracas, just south of Pisco, is a sea side village that is home to a nature reserve. It is also the best place to so a trip to the Islas Ballestas, a couple of unhabited islands off the coast that have a large population of birds and sea lions.