Paracas - Where The Desert Meets The Sea

The first stop after Lima brought me to Paracas, a small town 4h south of the capital. It is known for its natural reserve and for being the 'Galapagos for the Poor'.

On the way to Paracas, our bus stopped at a huge hacienda with a vast network of tunnels that were used to smuggle slaves and other 'goods' from the sea harbour a few kilometers away.

Once we arrived in Paracas, I went to have some of the best Ceviche I have had so far in Peru and I would actually eat Ceviche on all of my first five days in Peru. In the afternoon, I chilled by the beach and then prepared for a night of partying with locals, other travellers and the waiter who had taught us how to prepare Pisco Sour earlier.

On the second day, it was time to check out the nature reserve. So I booked myself on a sunset tour, accidentally ran into Paul and Ella who I met in San Gil (Colombia) and we all went into the reserve together. I had not expected much, but was positively surprised about the rough beauty of the reserve. It felt a bit like walking on the moon, while being on high cliffs right next to the water. When the sun then finally set, it was a gorgeous moment and the tour definitely exceeded my expectations.

The following day, we would leave Paracas, but not before Paul and I hired some buggies and drove back into the reserve. We stopped in different places than yesterday and driving those buggies through the national reserve was just good and clean fun. Plus, I had never driven a buggy before, so it was a perfect end to my time in Paracas.

My next stop would get me to Huacachina, a place that I have been looking forward to for a long time.Read more