Paracas National Reserve

We’ve been on the move pretty steady this trip, so there is some momentum building for a day to just sit by the pool. There is still a bit of gas in the tank though, so we rally and head out for a day tour of the Paracas National Rreserve. We’re not entirely sure what to expect, but it gets fairly good ratings on some of the travel websites, so we figure why not.

We start off at a small museum that highlights the history of the area, and provides some great information about the impact people are having on the local environment and how to change that for the better (Sam has a school project that this ties into so is able to get some great material). It turns out this is the northern edge of the Atacama Desert, which explains perfectly why, aside from the ocean, there is nothing (literally nothing) but sand for as far as the eye can see.

From there, things get a little less exciting. We make a few stops, one at a geologic formation that in it’s time was probably quite impressive, but was destroyed by the 2007 earthquake (now there are just some boards with pictures of how it used to look), and the other at a red sand beach. They are both mildly interesting, but it’s an awful long ride in a packed tour bus, over rutted desert roads, so on the whole probably not something I would rush out and do again.

We finish up with a stop on a tiny fishing village, where for an outrageous price they will serve you a “fresh seafood lunch” in a run-down restaurant. The place reeks of tourist trap, so we opt instead to hike a little while we wait for the rest of our group, and then head back to town.

All in all, I have to give this tour a solid “meh”. It was something to do, but compared to the other experiences we have enjoyed here in Peru, it comes up pretty short. Fortunately, we found a fantastic chicken and french fry cart that sets up near where the tours drop people off, so we have a perfect excuse to stop there again for dinner.