Playa La Mina

South Coast

This beach is a short drive or walk south of Lagunillas on a dirt road and has gentle waters that make it the best swimming area in the reserve. Vacationing Peruvians flock here in summer (January to March) when it can get fairly crowded. If it's busy you may find the odd mobile drinks concession set up. Camping is also allowed. Plan to bring all the water you will need, and never camp alone as robberies have been reported.

Adjacent El Raspón beach is usually less busy and is accessed by some stairs running down the rock face.

Contact

Address

Reserva Nacional de Paracas

Suggest an edit to this attraction

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Islas Ballestas
13.62 MILES
Grandiosely nicknamed the ‘poor man’s Galápagos,’ the Islas Ballestas make for a memorable excursion. The only way to get here is on a boat tour, offered…
Punta Arquillo
2.56 MILES
Just before the Lagunillas turnoff, a spur road branches off the main La Mina road and heads to the southwest for a few kilometers to a parking area near…
Reserva Nacional de Paracas
5.32 MILES
This vast desert reserve occupies most of the Península de Paracas and houses remote beaches backed by dramatic arid landscapes and plenty of wonderful…
Museo Julio C Tello
4.35 MILES
Right next to the park visitor center, in front of the Paracas Necropolis burial grounds on Cerro Colorado, this recently expanded museum features…
Candelabra Geoglyph
7.72 MILES
A giant three-pronged figure etched into the sandy hills, which is more than 150m high and 50m wide. No one knows exactly who made the glyph, or when, or…
Playa Yumaque
2.41 MILES
The reserve protrudes south a fair few kilometers below the Paracas Peninsula. Dirt roads branch off just east of Lagunillas to Yumaque Beach where there…
Playa Roja
1.78 MILES
This narrow bay southwest of the visitor center features a peculiar reddish sand that contrasts dramatically with the low yellowish cliffs behind and the…
Plaza de Armas
16.02 MILES
Post-earthquake, Pisco’s main Plaza de Armas is a mishmash of the vanquished and the saved. The equestrian statue of José de San Martín, hand raised…

View more attractions

Nearby South Coast attractions

1. Lagunillas

1.16 MILES

Turkey vultures feast on the washed-up remains of yesterday’s marine carcasses on the lonely beach at Lagunillas, 5km south of the visitor centre, where a…

2. Playa Roja

1.78 MILES

This narrow bay southwest of the visitor center features a peculiar reddish sand that contrasts dramatically with the low yellowish cliffs behind and the…

3. La Catedral

2.31 MILES

This local landmark just south of Playa Yumaque was once a majestic natural arch that jutted out into the sea but was destroyed by the 2007 earthquake…

4. Playa Yumaque

2.41 MILES

The reserve protrudes south a fair few kilometers below the Paracas Peninsula. Dirt roads branch off just east of Lagunillas to Yumaque Beach where there…

5. Punta Arquillo

2.56 MILES

Just before the Lagunillas turnoff, a spur road branches off the main La Mina road and heads to the southwest for a few kilometers to a parking area near…

6. Museo Julio C Tello

4.35 MILES

Right next to the park visitor center, in front of the Paracas Necropolis burial grounds on Cerro Colorado, this recently expanded museum features…

7. Centro de Interpretación

4.38 MILES

Located 1.5km south of the entry point to Reserva Nacional de Paracas, this visitor center seems to be aimed for the most part at school groups rather…

8. Paracas Necropolis

4.51 MILES

A few hundred meters behind the visitor complex on Cerro Colorado are the 5000-year-old remains of a necropolis related to the Paracas culture, which…

View more attractions