Paracas, Peru: A Rock Refuge

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“Poor man’s Galapagos” is a nickname for the Ballestas Islands in Peru, which are a good alternative to visiting the Galapagos Islands. The islands are smaller than the Galapagos Islands, and are located in the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region of Peru. They are known for their arches and rock formations, thousands of birds, sea lions, and other wildlife. The islands are also home to a variety of mammals, marine species, and birdlife, including: Humboldt penguins, Sea stars, Fur seals, and Sea lions.

The last two photos show the Paracas Candelabra which we passed on the way out to the islands. It is a giant, mysterious marker etched in the earth and lined in large rocks. Similar to the Nazca lines but believed to have been created by a different group of people, due to its size (595 feet long) and visibility, (you can see it 12 miles out at sea) one theory is that it was created centuries ago as a sign for sailers to reference for landfall. Another theory is that it is a depiction of the Mesoamerican Tree of Life.

I took these photos in 2008 on a trip that also included an Amazon River trip, a flight over the Nazca Lines, Villa Salvador and Lima. A wonderful trip.

And, more information from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Some of it repeats info above:
Location of the Paracas Peninsula in the Ica Region of Peru

The Paracas Peninsula is a desert peninsula within the boundaries of the Paracas National Reserve, a marine reserve that extends south along the coast of Peru. The only marine reserve in the country, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is to mark and preserve the archeological sites of the Paracas culture, in addition to the marine habitat. [citation needed]

The peninsula is located within the Paracas District of Pisco Province . This unusual peninsula may be best known for the Paracas Candelabra, a prehistoric geoglyph nearly 600 feet (183 m) tall that was created on the north face of the peninsula ridge. Pottery nearby was dated to 200 BCE, placing it within the Paracas culture.

For Wind Kisses Challenge 295: Rock Your World

27 thoughts on “Paracas, Peru: A Rock Refuge”

  1. Wind Kisses's avatarWind Kisses

    My initial thought was…I am glad you kept the wildlife in the photos. Lots of wildlife on those rocks. But after reading, I learned so much. I wonder if there are less tourists in the Ballestas Islands. The Candelabra is fascinating. To think of its size, visibility and theories to why it is there makes it worth the trip and the study. Very interesting. Thank you, Judy.

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    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      There are only birds and sea animals on these rock islands. There are so many birds there that every ten years or so they harvest the bird guano and sell it for fertilizer. The only sign of humanity is a big crane that they use to load it on ships. I have a photo of that dock going out into the water with the big crane. It is totally covered with birds!

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  2. SAM VOELKER's avatarMarion Couvillion

    Beautiful~! I never made it to the Paracas or the Galapagos but I only had one lifetime and was kept very busy~!

    Today I was reading something I wrote some time back in reply to a man who traveled and wrote a blog on the places he visited. Most were well done but his comments referred to the people camping on the Rio Grande as being “Rabbit Warrens”, which were negative and hit a nerve. I had mixed emotions and wrote a long letter to him with my opinion of that (MAGA) attitude. I am sending a privet copy to you to digest in your own way.

    SAM

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      1. slmret's avatarslmret

        Galapagos and Costa Rica are the two ‘bucket list’ destinations that I haven’t reached yet. I will probably never get to either now, so it’s really interesting for me to see these photos of Paracas and its wildlife! Thank you for sharing!

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      1. Ana Daksina's avatarAna Daksina

        That petroglyph totally rocks! Like the artist got way off across that bay a few times and said to him/herself, “Just a little more thickness on those two lines, and it’ll be perfectly balanced!”

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  10. sustainabilitea's avatarsustainabilitea

    Fascinating, Judy. I’ve not been to the Galapagos Islands and I probably will never make it to these, poor man’s or not, but I greatly enjoyed seeing and reading about this place. Thanks for widening my horizons so beautifully.

    janet

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