» Five days: The complete coastal kayak experience

Five days: The complete coastal kayak experience

This complete five day kayak experience gives you an opportunity to experience all marine wildlife off the Peruvian central coast up-close: dolphins, sea lions, penguins and other marine birds. All this you can enjoy up-close and surrounded by amazing coastal landscapes of unpopulated beaches and steep coastal cliffs with huge bird colonies glued onto the rock walls.

If you want to book this tour: click here!

Day 1: Full day Pucusana ocean experience

We start in Lima and drive 60 km southwards to Pucusana, a small fishing port. Explore the coast of Pucusana with it’s amazing coastal cliffs and small hidden beaches. View sea lions, marine birds and sea stars along the rocky coastline. While on the water your knowledgeable and friendly naturalist kayak guide will educate you about the surrounding region and wildlife while helping you further improve your kayaking skills. At noontime you can take a break in the local fish restaurants or just simply relax on the beach.

South American sea lions will rest just a few meters away from you on the rocks or pop up aside your kayak. During our bird-feeding activity dozens of the famously beautiful and endemic Inca terns will hover over your kayak while catching their bits of fish in flight. The endemic band-tailed gull will land on your kayak to get her fish and the pelicans will come paddling up-close. You can observe all three Peruvian cormorant species, a number of other seagull species, the endemic Peruvian sea side cynclodes, the blackish oystercatcher and a number of other marine and shore-bird species – we listed more than 30 bird species in the port area. With a little bit of luck you will see one of the endangered Humboldt penguins already on your first day, as well as the endangered Peruvian diving petrel.

We will stay overnight in a comfortable beach hotel. All rooms have ocean view, cable-TV and the hotel has WIFI.

Day 2: The Asia Island penguin experience

The next morning we continue by road to the small town of Bujama, about 100 km south of Lima. From here we start our 13 mile kayak trip around Asia Island. Asia Island is a so called guano island, located 100 km south of Lima. Guano islands are unpopulated islands with huge bird colonies whose bird droppings have served for thousands of years as natural fertilizer for agriculture and are still harvested nowadays. Since December 2009 Asia Island is part of the new National Reserve Guano Islands – a result of nine years of lobbying from our associated conservation group Mundo Azul.

While paddling you will be able to observe the endangered Humboldt Penguin which has a breeding colony on the island and everyday we see between 30 and 100 penguins up-close. You can also enjoy a small sea lion colony (30-50 strong), as well as thousands of Inca terns, Peruvian pelicans, Guanay cormorants, Peruvian boobies. Apart from that, you will see a great number of other marine and shore birds like the endemic band-tailed gull, the endemic Peruvian sea side cynclodes or the blackish oystercatcher. You also have a chance to encounter the small local dolphin pod living in the area around the island.

Upon our return to the beach we continue on road to Paracas. Because of the strong winds coming up in the afternoons throughout the year kayaking in Paracas is restricted to the morning – this small disadvantage of early morning wake-up calls comes with the advantage of sun-shine throughout the year even in Peru’s winter (June –September) when Lima suffers grey skies and cold weather.

Day 3: The Paracas Bay + dolphin encounter

We kayak in the calm waters of the Bay of Paracas. In the early morning hours the water here is as flat as a mirror and you feel like you are kayaking effortlessly on a Lake rather than the ocean. Here you have a good chance to encounter local dolphins visiting the area regularly. You will be amazed to see this friendly mammals surfacing alongside your kayak and swimming alongside you watching from below. After enjoying our dolphin encounter we will make a round trip in the bay, having a picnic on one of its beautiful beaches.

Day 4: Mendieta – the most beautiful Paracas beach

We will drive off road through the desert of Paracas to reach the most beautiful beach of Paracas: Mendieta beach. This small and protected bay surrounded by a breathtaking desert landscape lies far off the beaten path and standard package tourists never get here. Even for Peruvian off-road travelers Mendieta beach is still a secret tip from people that know the desert. It offers a prime kayaking area. You will enjoy the small rocky islands within and around the bay, the resting area for sea lions and marine birds.

Day 5: Ballestas Islands and Lagunillas

We take a early morning boat tour to visit the sea lion colony on the famous Ballestas Islands. Upon our return we drive to Lagunillas Bay were we have a light 6 miles kayaking program and where we can enjoy fish in one of the local beach restaurants upon return from our kayak trip. In the late afternoon we start our return to Lima.

If you want to book this tour: click here!

Where you will stay during your first night:

We will stay overnight in a comfortable beach hotel. All rooms have ocean view, cable-TV and the hotel has WIFI.

Where you will stay in Paracas

In Paracas you can choose between two different styles to travel : Budget or Deluxe

Budget – Tour

For people that like to keep it simple and look for the learning experience of close contact with local people we recommend accommodation in a private family pension: The setting is simple and clean. The location is quiet & just a few blocks from the main area. Double room accommodation; private bathroom; some of the rooms are with ocean view; shared terrace, balcony, living room and kitchen and garden. The big plus of this hostel is the hospitality of their owners, making you feel like a friend from the first minute on. Owner Isabel is incredibly helpful and friendly, going above and beyond the call of duty.

Kayak Deluxe

For people that want to end the day with all the necessary services to make you feel like a king or queen we recommend the luxury version of our tour – staying in the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Paracas: Enjoy the private beach, several swimming pools, bar, restaurant and otherfeatures and have sweet dreams in your spacious, 55m² Suite with king-sized bed or your double bed suite, both with large balcony, offering impressive views on the turquoise waters of Paracas Bay and/or the Hotel gardens, thoughtfully appointed with the Sweet Dreams by Doubletree Sleep Experience, with a plentiful amount of hypo-allergenic jumbo pillows, a luxurious linen package of a down-filled duvet wrapped in triple sheeting and a specially designed plush-top mattress and box spring system. The living room gives the comfort of you den at home with dining area, sofa and easy chairs, large desk with ergonomic chair, kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator. Equipped with high-speed wireless internet, two 29-inch screen TV sets with Premium channels, in room climate control, iron with ironing board, personal safe and the easy to set Doubletree alarm clock radio with MP3 device. Also feature two speaker phones with voice mail, message waiting and data port, and an additional phone in the bathroom. Bathroom features deluxe domestic bath products, curved shower rod, hair dryer and modern fixtures and fittings.

Sea kayaking with Nature Expeditions in Peru

The tour includes:

- Hotel pick-up

- Private transport Lima-Paracas-Lima (total 480 km)

- Private transport in Paracas including two desert off-road tour (200 km)

- Boat visit at Ballestas Islands

- Overnight in double room accommodation, breakfast included

- Kayak and sprayskirt

- Life-vest

- Kayak-jacket

- English, Spanish, German speaking kayak and naturalist guide

- Safety/Kayak lesson

Budget Tour, 2012:

Cost (Low season: 22.04. to 27.07 and 07.08 to 14.12.): 3,689 Nuevos Soles per person (not including tax)

Cost (High season: 28.07 to 07.08. and 15.12. to 21.04.): 3,925 Nuevos Soles per person (not including tax)

For single room accommodation inquire about additional charges.

If you want to book this tour: click here!

Deluxe Tour, 2012:

Cost (Low season: 15.05. to 15.07 and 31.08 to 14.10.): 6,438 Nuevos Soles per person (not including tax)

Cost (High season: 16.07 to 30.08. and 15.10. to 14.05.): 6,629 Nuevos Soles per person (not including tax)

For single room accommodation inquire about additional charges.

If you want to book this tour: click here!

No previous sea kayaking experience is required: We begin each of our sea kayak tours with a thorough safety/kayak lesson to familiarize you with your equipment and adequately prepare you for your adventure. The lesson includes paddling technique, sea kayaking safety, familiarization with our safety gear and providing other helpful and necessary skills for our kayak tour.

Our excellent knowledgeable and friendly naturalist kayak guides: We strongly believe that an outstanding guide can make the difference between a good trip and a fabulous kayak vacation. We choose our guides carefully. Our guides are skilled, friendly, and knowledgeable, they have a positive attitude and are passionate teachers but most importantly, they love what they do.

Small personal groups: Providing an excellent kayak trip involves a combination of many factors. One key aspect is the group size. A smaller group is safer on and off the water, allows for more interactions between the guide(s) and guests as well as gives our guests a chance to get to know each other. We adjust and modify each trip to the individual desires and interests of the group.

Our kayaking tour is a special and memorable activity

that will surely be the highlight of your vacation!

If you want to book this tour: click here!

See our other kayak programs:

Travel with biologist Stefan Austermühle, Executive Director of the Peruvian nature conservation group Mundo Azul and founder of Nature Expeditions. Stefan is deeply involved in marine conservation and biological research in Peru since 1998. He is an experienced professional diver, owns a captains license and loves sea kayaking. Over the last decade he has been working all along the Peruvian coast and also leeads a longterm bottlenose dolphin research program. To read more about his work click here.
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