Paracas

ABOUT PARACAS:
Paracas National Park is widely regarded as one of the most important marine reserves in the world. This coastal and marine national park is located on a peninsula in the Pacific Ocean and is home to one of the highest concentration of marine birds in the world as well as providing vital habitat for sea lions and dolphins.

Historically the peninsula was the home to the Paracas people from 1200 BCE through to around 200 CE, and some remains of their culture can be found in the area, the most spectacular of which is the enormous candelabra - a giant etching depicting a cactus inscribed onto a coastal hill overlooking the ocean.

Another early morning, 5:30 breakfast, to leave by 6:00. We took a private bus from our hostel to the bus station, where we caught a very nice public bus to Paracas and arrived at 11:30.

The recommended option activity was the National Reserve; however, 8 of us

decided to go the Huacachina, the only oasis in South America. On the way, our tour leader organised for us to stop at a winery for lunch. He stops he for tours he goes on with Exodus Travels. I ordered a very nice beef shank, and while we were waiting for it to be cooked, we were taken on a tour of the winery and sampled several types of wine.

Huacachina is a sparkling oasis nestled in the deserts near Ica in northern Peru - an area that is more reminiscent of the Sahara than South America! The picturesque lagoon is surrounded by palm trees and towering sand dunes and creates a tranquil oasis in the dusty coastal desert. The small town here has become a popular

destination for travellers due to its incredible sand boarding and dune buggying opportunities. We briefly explored Hunachina, then sandboarded before returning for a group dinner, where I had prawn skewers, which ha
d lots of prawns.