A geoglyph about 170 meters long, a national reserve that protects marine ecosystems, and a viewpoint with a red hue offer different ways to explore Paracas. El Candelabro can be seen briefly during a speedboat trip to the Ballestas Islands; Playa Roja adds a viewpoint whose red hue is associated with the rock of a nearby massif. The Museo de Sitio adds a cultural stop. Depending on your interests, you can make marine conservation, cultural landscapes, or exhibitions the focus of your stay.
El Candelabro on the way to the Ballestas Islands
El Candelabro is in the northern part of the Paracas Peninsula and is about 170 meters long. During the speedboat trip from the El Chaco pier to the Ballestas Islands, there is a brief stop to view the geoglyph. This means that seeing the figure is part of the trip to the islands. Since speedboat schedules and procedures may vary, check the current arrangements before departure.
Marine conservation and a red landscape
The Paracas National Reserve protects marine ecosystems. You can visit it Monday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. via the Santo Domingo checkpoint. As hours may change, check the current visiting times when planning your trip.
Playa Roja is a viewpoint of exceptional beauty. Its red hue is associated with the nearby Punta Santa MarĂa massif, which is made up of rock containing solidified red magma. The link between the visible red color and the neighboring rock gives the landscape a geological dimension. Visitors interested in geological connections will find a tangible point of reference here. Conditions at the viewpoint may change; check the current situation before your visit.
Museum and different visiting hours
The Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello de Paracas is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It has nine permanent exhibition halls and one temporary exhibition hall: alongside the permanent exhibits, there is space for changing presentations. For visitors who want to experience culture as well as the landscape and excursions, the museum is a destination in its own right. On opening days, its hours extend until 5:00 p.m., while the reserve can be visited until 4:00 p.m. This one-hour difference may matter when deciding the order of your visits.
Routes and regional context
The round trip from Paracas to the Ballestas Islands is listed as 21.4 kilometers and takes 1 hour and 40 minutes; travel time may vary. Note that these figures refer to the entire round trip. For the road connection from Plaza de Paracas to Playa La Mina, a 2022 route listing gives a distance of 16.6 kilometers and a travel time of approximately 25 minutes. Road conditions and travel times may change; check the current route before relying on the estimated duration. The figures refer to different types of travel: a round trip to the islands or a road connection to Playa La Mina.
In the wider region, the Ballestas Islands are part of the Ica region's main tourist route. This gives them regional significance in addition to their role as the destination of the trip from El Chaco.
Discover more destinations: Paracas, Pisco, Ica, Sunampe, Nazca.
Back to the main travel overview: Ica.
