Nazca Lines – Huacachina and Ballestas Island, from Cusco to Lima 3 Days/ 2 Nights

You will be arriving in Nazca by bus at 07:30 am (arriving from Arequipa). Our representative in Nazca is Liliana Hamani. She will be waiting for you at the bus terminal and will then transfer you to a restaurant, should you wish to have breakfast. Most people prefer to eat something light before a flight.

Between 8:00 and 8:30 am, you will be transferred to the Nazca Aerodrome for your flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines. Flying over these enigmatic “pampas” for approximately 35 minutes, you will discover the huge designs that were drawn, maybe hundreds of years ago, by some ancient Peruvians.
You will be able to observe the most important ones, such as the monkey, spider, hummingbird, and the long, perfect Nazca Lines.

Afterwards, to complete your experience in Nazca, you will visit the pre-Inca cemetery of Chauchilla, where you can observe the burial grounds of the old Nazcas. Most of these tombs are original and have mummies,

The tour continues with a visit to the Aqueducts of Cantalloc, Paredones, and workshops; here you will see how a modern Nazca descender makes their beautiful, colourful pottery. You will receive explanations about the ancient art of ceramics manufacturing, which was created during the Nazca Civilisation.

After all this excitement, we will stop at a local restaurant close to the hotel to have lunch. Then, we will pick up your luggage and transfer you to the bus terminal for your bus to Huacachina.

Ciro Arroyo will tell you about some optional activities related to the dunes, such as buggy tours and sandboarding.

Accommodation: DM hotels 

Our agent Ciro Arroyo will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Paracas town, to Chaco harbour, where you will board the speedboat around 8:00 am. And off you go, on your journey to the Ballestas Islands. On the way, we will make a short stop to observe the Candelabro, one of the various Nazca lines, which you can find shaped in the slope of one of the surrounding hills facing the Pacific Ocean.

There are a few stories about Candelabro’s origins and his imposing position that survives despite time and erosion. It is proof of the excellent knowledge and high engineering of its constructors.

After a few minutes of navigating, you will start to spot some groups of sea birds, flying or swimming right beside you, and welcoming you to the rocky island formation. The Ballestas Islands have been shaped by the strong wind of the Humboldt Current, creating caves and arches which are now a shelter for sea lions and many sea birds such as pelicans, boobies, red-footed Guanay cormorants and the Humboldt Penguin.

Early in the 20th century, people began collecting guano (bird droppings) from this area and selling it as fertiliser. Due to the vast quantities of this valuable substance, this became a significant source of revenue for businesses on the coast. The Ballestas Islands are part of the Paracas National Wildlife Reserve, which is why it’s not allowed to descend from the boats during the Tour. Anyway, you will be able to observe all these species from a very close distance, and if you are luck,y you will even see the Andean Condor or dolphins.

After this majestic visit, you will navigate back to the Chaco harbour and get ready to continue your bus to Lima at 12:10, arriving in the early afternoon.

Note: Setting foot on the Islands is forbidden as it is a protected ecological area. This tour is conducted exclusively on the speedboat. Please bring a wind jacket; it can be chilly in the morning.