When you hear Peru, you think immediately about Cusco and Machu Picchu but what most people don’t know is that just 3h from Lima there’s a beautiful desert coast line called Paracas Reserva. If you don’t want to read and just skip to the beautiful scenic views from the reserve, check out the video below!
HOW TO GET TO PARACAS ON THE CHEAP?
We got from Lima to Paracas for 18 soles which is 5.5 USD or 4.85 EURO (one way). Agencies like Cruz del Sur for example will charge you from 50 up to 75 soles one way. Which is quite a big difference if you’re traveling on a budget.
If you want to travel to Paracas on a budget, like we did, the best thing to do is to go to Mall del Sur in San Juan de Miraflores, there you cross the street and walk towards the area where all the buses stop. Just wait there for a few minutes and buses will pass there going to Pisco. They will call out the destinations so just pay a bit of attention and you will find one pretty fast. Make sure to ask the price in advance. We paid 15 soles to Pisco. The buses that pick up people there are usually coming from an agency like Perubus or others. You could think why not take the bus at the agency? Well, don’t do that because prices can be up to double the price if you depart at the agency and you will get the exact same seat. The busride is approximately 3h30 minutes depending on the traffic.
Only advice I can give: take care of your belongings in the bus. People will get on and off the bus to sell food , so there is some movement on the bus which makes it a bit more hectic than other more ‘luxury’ buses. I fell asleep on a bus like this one 5 years ago and my backpack was above me and it got stolen. I only noticed it when we arrived so keep an eye on your stuff!
Once you arrive in Pisco you can wait for a few minutes and take another bus to Paracas. This will cost you 3 soles and is about 30 minutes driving.
HOW TO GET TO THE RESERVA FROM PARACAS?
Paracas is a small town and the minute you arrive they will try to sell you tours to either Islas Ballestas or Paracas Reserva. There are several options to visit the reserva:
- On a big tour bus (you will be surrounded by 30 others at viewpoints and time schedule is strict)
- With a private car (best option for the price)
- With the mountain bike (good luck, the reserve is very big)
- On a quad (very dusty desert roads)
I would advice you to book a private car, you will have the most freedom and you’ll have more time to spend on each location. Basically you book the driver for x-amount of hours and he will show you around. If you prefer to stay at 1 location for 4h that’s your choice. We paid 60 soles for 4h. This was for a whole car not per person. Now be aware that they will try to charge you a lot more. Just tell them that you don’t want to pay more than 60 soles for 4h and if they don’t want just find another driver. It can get very hot in that area so ask if the car has airconditioning.
FOOD AND OTHER AMENITIES IN THE RESERVA
If you’re doing the tour during lunch, the driver will bring you to a small bay-area where there are some restaurants. Be prepared to spend some cash at these restaurants! For ‘average’ food you’ll spend probably double the price as in some other locations in Peru (check out the video below for more info). If you’re really on a budget, bring your own food and eat your lunch at the beach just next to the restaurants. You can even swim with penguins there!
There are some toilets spread out over the reserva but these are usually 2 soles. So definitely pricey!
VIEWS IN THE RESERVA
In the reserva you will witness beautiful views and sights that depending on your transportation option you can explore freely and without time limitation. At some beaches it’s allowed to swim so defininetly bring swimming clothes!
More views and details in the video below. It would be awesome if you subscribed to the channel, it helps a lot and it’s free!
