THE PARACAS NATIONAL RESERVE IN PERU

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Day 3: LIMA - PARACAS NATIONAL RESERVE

Today we have not needed or set the alarm. At 3.30 in the morning we return to be with the eyes like dishes and seeing that the jetlag looks like it is making a presence, we advance our day 30 minutes that will go bad for us since in a while we have the Lima bus to the Paracas National Reserve in Peru.
We close backpacks and at 5.18 in the morning they call us from the reception of Casa Andina Miraflores Centro, notifying us that we already have our taxi ready.
We are late in arriving by taxi to the Cruz del Sur Station in Javier Prado just over 15 minutes and as soon as we arrive we see the wingspan of what they say is the best Peruvian bus company.

Cruz del Sur station in Peru

We reserve the tickets before from home, through its website, to ensure the seat and avoid wasting time having to go to the bus station every time we needed the services to reserve a seat, since in many cases, according to whatever route, you have to book the day before.
For this one route from Lima to Paracas With a schedule of 6.30 in the morning, we pay 59 soles per person with an unbeatable rate.
This is a rate that is included on the internet, of VIP seats and is cheaper than not booking on site.
So as soon as we arrive, we change our receipt for the ticket, something you must remember to do and we go to the delivery of luggage, where after a while, we leave our checked bags as at the airport.
This is how the Cruz del Sur bus company works, where you have to leave your luggage at a counter, where they weigh it and put a label, which they then control at the time of collection.
We are about to get moving towards the second stop of our trip, the Paracas National Reserve in Peru.
We had read in several forums that the worst thing is to take a bus in Lima and even more at night, because you risk robberies, kidnappings ...
But it is clear that everything that is read and the experience of everyone we know personally and now our own, cannot be heeded, yes to buses as a form of transportation in Peru.
Perhaps it is the same thing that happened to us yesterday in Lima, when some policemen recommended that we not leave the most tourist area
We look at the clock and it is 6 in the morning and although the idea is to have a coffee that clears us at this time, we have to abort the mission because we do not find a bar or a machine that functions at this time of the morning.
At 6.15 they open the boarding gate of Lima bus to the Paracas National Reserve, where after passing the control of hand luggage and review of passports we embark on the coolest bus we have ever been to.

Interior of the Cruz del Sur bus

It is very clear that this is a transport in conditions and the rest is nonsense.
Another thing that surprises us is when we see that before starting, a security person comes up, who makes a recording of all the passengers.
We promptly leave at 6.30 in the morning towards Paracas National Reserve in Peru, this seems even a plane.
The city of Lima is still foggy. We say goodbye to her with that sky that we know will clear in a few hours ...
After half an hour's journey they serve us breakfast: coffee plus a cupcake and a sandwich, which I can't eat because it tastes a little weird. It is filled with a kind of purple butter that I do not find a taste too pleasant. We will have to ask what this butter is to take away our doubts.
We crossed during the great part of the trip arid landscapes in which the sun tries to sneak between the clouds and the fog, giving an even more arid image if possible.

Landscapes that we see from Lima to the Paracas National Reserve in Peru

We are touring the Pan American and we can do nothing but daydream about that trip that we have spoken so many times. Travel this road from beginning to end. This is another of the trips that remain on the already huge list of Street Travelers.
We continue touring different landscapes, mixing the aridity with small towns and the sun is making its place as we approach the Paracas National Reserve in Peru.

Approaching the Paracas National Reserve in Peru

We fell in love as soon as we saw her from afar.
We arrive at Cruz del Sur station in Paracas After 10 in the morning and just pick up the backpacks we ask about our accommodation today, the Brisas de la Bahía hotel. They tell us that it is a 5 minute walk, so we take the road down while all the cars that pass by the road insist on asking if we want a taxi even if they are normal cars.
And after those 5 minutes walking along the road in full sun, we arrive at the Brisas de la Bahía hotel, where after checking in, we rest for half an hour and go out to discover Paracas.
At 3 in the afternoon we have booked the excursion to the Paracas National Reserve in Peru with Ricardo, the contact María de Callejeando por el Mundo commented on her blog and how could it be otherwise, we "appropriate".
Upon leaving the hotel, going around the corner and reaching the promenade of the sea of Paracas, we found a totally different environment than we had seen so far.

Paracas central promenade

A more than relaxed atmosphere, terraces where you can stop for a drink, souvenir shops, ice cream vendors. We begin to feel a special roll, of those that we feel very occasionally and that invite us to believe that this is one of our places in the world.

Views of the Paracas Sea

It reminds us of some place we have already been, but we would not know which one it is even if we think about it.

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Spanish from Peru by travelers:
- Tour of the Paracas National Reserve
- Boat trip to Ballestas Islands
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After a short walk, we decided to stop on a terrace where we ordered a pisco and mango juice for 20 soles.

Having a soda in Paracas

Taking a pisco in Paracas

Of course, prices are more European than we have seen so far in Lima. But nobody can tell us that we are not in a fable and those things must also be paid, so we will not complain.
Shortly before 1 noon we decided that it is time to get back on track we will continue traveling the piece of street that we have left to know about Paracas.

Paracas walk

We decided to sit in the Delfin Dorado restaurant, where we ordered a mix of tapas, a ceviche and a squid with a squid plus a large Cuzco, a coke and two coffees for 111 soles.

Eating in Paracas

How we like this environment. What a festival to eat and enjoy we are giving ourselves. And those pica pica that give us soft corn. Addiction have created us.

What a addiction we just caught up with this

All great, washed down with live music from a singer who was playing in the street and approaches the restaurant when he sees that there are enough people to take off some suns.

Live music while we eat in Paracas

We just ate after 2 pm and decided to go to the hotel in Paracas before it is 3 in the afternoon, time that we have stayed with Ricardo to teach us the Paracas National Reserve in Peru.
We rest for a little while and at 14.45 they call us from the reception to tell us that Ricardo is already waiting for us below.
We met Ricardo also through Strolling around the World and we don't hesitate to contact him to see if he could teach us the Paracas National Reserve in Peru. It took a few days to answer, but when he did we only needed a couple of emails to close the deal of a Paracas Reserve tour 3 or 4 hours for 90 soles, and know that we were in the hands of a good person. We are not mistaken ...
After the initial presentations, we got in the car and Ricardo starts telling us about his life, his work and, above all, Peru and Paracas.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Peru
- 10 essential places to visit in Lima
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We do not need more than 5 minutes to verify that it is that type of people who enjoy doing their job and above all that they know how to do it perfectly.
The first stop we make is at the Museum of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru, where Ricardo gives us an introduction of everything we are seeing.

Museum of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru

After this visit to the Museum, we return to the car and set off towards one of the points we have seen most in photos of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru, the red beach.
We are crossing a road in the middle of the desert, while Ricardo explains that this road, although we do not believe it, is made of salt, something that attracts us a lot of attention being in a place like the one we are.

Roads of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru

By car with Ricardo through the Paracas Reserve

And suddenly, as often happens with these things, the car stops and we see in front of us. The Red Beach of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru.

Red Beach in the Paracas Reserve

Without a doubt and more after seeing what we are seeing, we can do nothing but recommend 100% this excursion and this destination if you travel to Peru.
If Ricardo did not have seats, another good option is to book this advance tour online.

The landscapes in front of us are incredible, hard to imagine for many photographs you have seen.

Enjoying the Paracas National Reserve in Peru

It's been a long time since we've been so excited about a landscape and here we can't stop looking at each other, with a face that says it all.
Without much desire to leave, but looking at the clock because the hours of sun come over us, we go to Lagunillas, bordering the bay since after the earthquake it is impossible to access directly and always with the explanations of Ricardo, who is giving us A whole lesson about the history, geology of the area.

Lagunillas Beach

Lagunillas a very special corner of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru and much more now that we are in low season and there are no tourists.
Someday we will return to spend a long season here, we are sure.
After a good time in Lagunillas, we return to the car, but not before looking back, to go to a nearby viewpoint where we are again impressed by the beauty that nature shows us.

Paracas National Reserve

After this stop, we continue on the road to Yumaque, returning to the road that allows us to have privileged views of the Paracas desert.

Yumaque Beach

Ricardo explains here that when Easter and New Year's Eve arrives, this beach is full of tents, where people spend several days celebrating the festivities.
At 5 in the afternoon we return to the car and get on our way to La Catedral, another of the main dishes of this afternoon.

The Cathedral of the Paracas National Reserve in Peru

Here we are lucky to enjoy an incredible sunset, which inevitably reminds us of many of those who have lived around the world, such as Lombok, in Indonesia.
Today it is somewhat dazzled by the wind so extreme that we have and although we would have loved to be some more time, we are almost forced to continue with our itinerary.
We take the car to start the return to Paracas, but Ricardo still saves an ace is his sleeve, stops us at a fossil site in the middle of the desert of the Paracas National Reserve.

Last stop, this time to go looking for fossils

We cannot believe what Ricardo explains to us and what he is showing us right now, hundreds and hundreds of fossils, which have been here for millions of years and that no one has possibly seen in all this time.

Fossils in Paracas

And from here we take the best memory, some clam fossils that will accompany us throughout our trip.
After this last stop, we continue our journey back to hotel in Paracas, where we arrived in about 45 minutes.

We say goodbye to Ricardo, giving him infinite thanks, not only for showing us the Paracas National Reserve in Peru, but for letting us in his life these hours that we have shared.
We are very clear that from today we will remember Ricardo every time we remember the incredible Paracas.
We leave your data, in case someone is interested in hiring you as a driver and guide:
Ricardo Hernandez Morales
Telephone number 945502551 Email [email protected]
After an afternoon more than intense, we stayed at the hotel for a while to take a shower and remove all the sand that we brought with us from the Paracas desert and shortly before 8 pm we went out to dinner at the busiest area of the city.

Restaurants in Paracas

Peruvian dog that we crossed while we look for a restaurant to have dinner

After a few laps, we stayed at the Juan Pedro restaurant, where we ordered some squid and coconut rinds, which is a grilled fish, more lemonade (prepared exclusively for us according to the waiter, which by the way is one of the best, for don't say the best we've ever tried). All this for 70 soles.
It's 9 o'clock at night and we decided it's time to return to our hotel in Paracas, the Brisas de la Bahía hotel, to rest.
Tomorrow we expect a most complete day ...