Sights in Pisco
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Reserva Nacional de Paracas
The vast Reserva Nacional de Paracas is a desert reserve that occupies most of the Península de Paracas. Tour operators offer excursions; alternatively, hire a taxi in Pisco or take a combi into the village of Paracas and then walk - make sure to allow lots of time, and bring food and plenty of water.
Near the entrance to Paracas village, past Playa El Chaco, is an obelisk commemorating the landing of the liberator General José de San Martín. The combi continues further in and, if asked, will drop you in front of Hotel Paracas. Continue on foot either along the tarmac road south of Paracas, or the beach, looking out for seashore life.
About 3km south is a park entry poi…
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Islas Ballestas
Although grandiosely nicknamed the 'poor man's Galapagos,' the Islas Ballestas make for a memorable excursion. The only way to get there is with a boat tour, offered by many travel agencies. None of the small boats have a cabin, so dress to protect against the wind, spray and sun. The sea can get rough, so sufferers of motion sickness should take medication before boarding.
Wear a hat (cheap ones are sold at the harbor), as it's not unusual to receive a direct hit of guano (droppings) from the seabirds.
On the outward boat journey, which takes about 1½ hours, you can't miss the famous three-pronged Candelabra geoglyph, a giant figure etched into the sandy hills, which is o…
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Tambo Colorado
Tambo Colorado, an early Inca lowland outpost about 45km northeast of Pisco, was named for the red paint that once completely covered its adobe walls. It's one of the best-preserved sites on the south coast and is thought to have served as an administrative base and control point for passing traffic, mostly conquered peoples. An on-site caretaker will collect the fee and can answer questions in Spanish.
From Pisco, it takes about an hour to get there by car. Hire a taxi for half a day or take a tour from Pisco (two-person minimum). A combi through the village of Humay passes Tambo Colorado 20 minutes beyond the village; it leaves from the Pisco market early in the morning…
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Paracas Necropolis
Inside the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, a few hundred meters behind the park visitors complex is the 5000-year-old remains of the Paracas Necropolis, a late site of the Paracas culture, which predated the Incas by more than a thousand years. A stash of over 400 funerary bundles was found here, each wrapped in many layers of colorful, woven shrouds for which the Paracas culture is famous. There's little to see now though.
Lima's Museo de la Nación and Ica's Museo Regional de Ica exhibit some exquisite textiles and other finds from the site.
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Town Cemetery
East of the Plaza de Armas, the Town Cemetery has a few hidden secrets. Taxi drivers like to tell the story of 19th-century Englishwoman Sarah Ellen Roberts, a suspected vampire whose body was refused by all graveyards until Pisco was paid handsomely to bury it. Before dying, she boasted that she would rise again after 100 years - though much to everyone's disappointment in 1993, she didn't.
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Museo JC Tello
Inside the Reserva Nacional de Paracas, next door to the park visitor centre, is the Museo JC Tello. Unfortunately, the museum's best pieces were stolen a few years ago, but an interesting collection of weavings, trophy heads and trepanned skulls (showing an ancient medical technique wherein a slice of the skull is removed, relieving pressure on the brain resulting from injuries) remains.
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Tambo Colorado
This early Inca lowland outpost, about 45km northeast of Pisco, was named for the red paint that once completely covered its adobe walls. It’s one of the best-preserved sites on the south coast and is thought to have served as an administrative base and control point for passing traffic, mostly conquered peoples.
reviewed
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Plaza de Armas
Since Pisco was once a revolutionary base for liberator José de San Martín, the general's statue now peers down on the main plaza, Plaza de Armas. San Martín's headquarters, the Club Social Pisco (San Martín 132) still stands nearby; it's now open to the public as a Peruvian restaurant.
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Acorema Interpretation Center
The dusty Acorema Interpretation Center , housed in a curious old Swiss-style building, has tame exhibits on biodiversity and conservation in Paracas plus a large whale skeleton tucked away to one side. It's in a dangerous part of town near the beach, so take a mototaxi.
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Milsy Tours
Milsy has daily tours to the Islas Ballestas and Reserva Nacional de Paracas with guides who speak English and some French and Italian, too. It occasionally takes groups to Tambo Colorado and will arrange customized trips to Nazca.
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