Paracas National Reserve – Southern Coast
At Paracas National Reserve, you can spread your towel on a number of pristine, quiet beaches. Most of the beaches here have white sand, but a few, like Lagunillas Bay, have red sand. At Playa Atenas, you’ll see the shape of a candelabra (a candle holder) carved into the face of a cliff. It’s known as “El Candelabro,” and historians aren’t sure who left it there – it could have been pirates, or the ancient Paracas people.
The Paracas Reserve is named for the Paracas culture which peaked around 500 B.C. The Paracas Reserve has an onsite museum, with many interesting examples of pre-Columbian textiles.
Swim at a Paracas Reserve beach, and encounter an abundance of marine life. This park was established in 1975, mainly to protect the populations of rare or endangered sea creatures that call this part of Pacific Ocean home. If you came here to surf, the best waves are on an island just off the coast of the reserve. It’s called San Gallán, and to get there you’ll need to hire a boat. These waves are huge, and you should only attempt to ride them if you are a very experienced surfer.