Every year thousands of visitors flocked Paracas to visit the Ballestas Islands, Peru’s mini and cheap version of the Galapagos. Few people explored the Paracas National Park. Or if they do, they rush through it by bus. We decided to cycle the Paracas National Park, and it left a more authentic experience than the Ballestas Islands.
After talking with the manager of our hostel, Atenas Backpacker Hospedaje, we concluded that we should rent bicycles and ride through the Paracas National Reserve. We needed to start early to beat the unbearable heat and the gusty wind that usually peaked in the afternoon.
At 6 AM, we packed our bag with water and cycled towards the visitor centre as the sun rose over us. The park office was still close. It only opened at 8 AM. Therefore, we saved 15 soles each required to buy the entrance tickets. We stopped and walked 10 minutes from the visitor centre to the oceanfront to admire hundreds of pink flamingos feeding on micro-organisms, such as tiny algae and small crustaceans.
From there, we returned to the intersection that would lead us next to the Cathedral. The 10 kilometres of raw nature made the area one of the most picturesque we had ever visited. Quickly, the road turned into a bumpy and rocky pathway. We cycled in the harsh and barren desert until we reached La Catedral (The Cathedral). Unfortunately, the rock formation was destroyed by the last earthquake when the main geological arch collapsed into the ocean. We continued our journey. Alone. Cycling in the silent desert with nothing except an infinite stretch of sand, dunes and mountains that were formed millions of years ago. The scenery was astonishing.
La Catedral (the Cathedral)
After the cathedral, we were met with even more spectacular views of the Atacama Desert on one side, the Pacific Ocean on the other and the Andes Mountains in the background. The Atacama Desert is the driest desert in the world with only about 1 millimetre of rain per year.
Yumaque
We pedalled as our own pace and stopped at various points of interest along the way, admiring the gigantic sand dunes, looking for marine fossils (that we never found), or taking amazing pictures of the cliffs dropping right down into the Peruvian coast.
Lagunillas
We arrived at the famous Playa Roja, Peru's unique red beach and one of the most beautiful beaches in the Paracas National Reserve. Near the cliffs of Punta Santa Maria, the stunning reddish shore let us awe. Exhausted, and after almost 5 hours in the reserve, the beach was the perfect conclusion to our journey. We completed the loop and head back to Paracas.
La Playa Roja
Practical information on the Maya Chichen Itza
- The bike was hard work, but it allows us to explore the National Park at our own pace and venture to places where buses or cars can’t go.
- We paid 25 soles per bike for the day through our hostel by the price seems to be the norm around.
- As far as distances go, it was about 6 km from the town to the visitor centre, about 2.3 km back to the intersection, then roughly 10km to the Cathedral, another 8 km to Playa Roja and 11 km back to Paracas. We did a few extras kilometres wandering around the reserve. So we must have cycle 35 km in the Paracas Reserve.
- Cycle the loop clockwise as the first section to the La cathedral is less scenic and more empty.
Where to stay in Paracas?
We booked two nights at Atenas Backpacker Hospedaje. The rooms were nothing amazing and certainly not five stars, with dated decor and furniture but it was cheap and everything worked well. We had cable TV, hot water and wifi included in the rate.
If you want to splurge and get the best experience in Paracas, check out the Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort. The rooms were large, cosy with very comfortable beds. The 2 pools were clean, wonderful and paradisiac. The staff was welcoming and the food delicious. Try the Ceviche at Restaurante Chalana. When it came to the views. It was just splendid. Definitely worth the money spent.
Cycling through the Paracas National Reserve was an incredible experience. We would recommend doing it to anyone visiting Paracas although a certain level of fitness was required due to a few hard uphills and the wind which can be a challenge in the afternoon.
Have you visited Paracas National Reserve? Did you cycle through it as we did? How was the wind? Share your experience and comments with us...
