Paracas

A two hour boat circuit past rocks covered with sea lions, Humboldt penguins and seabirds. Landing is not permitted and it is all seen from the boat.

Red desert breaks off in cliffs with the sea directly below them. The tracks are unpaved, entry is by bike or car, and no shade exists anywhere.

Broken volcanic rock turns the sand red along this shore. The current is strong and nothing is provided, so people look down from the rim.

A figure 180m across is cut into a dune and is visible from the sea. Who made it and when is unsettled, and the wind has not erased it.

An hour away, palms ring an oasis out in the desert. Buggies run over the ridges and boards carry you back down them.

A light aircraft circles the desert figures for about thirty minutes. The turns come often and many feel sick, so an empty stomach helps.

An Inca administrative site in adobe whose walls keep their red pigment. With no rain to speak of, the colour has held for over five centuries.

Textiles and skulls excavated from the desert are on display. The colour in cloth two thousand years old can be seen up close.

Farms in the valley nearby distil pisco from their own grapes. Different grape varieties go into glasses next to each other so the gap shows.

Wind arrives on schedule each afternoon, which makes this a place to learn kitesurfing. Mornings stay flat, and beginners use those hours.

A sea-carved rock arch on the reserve's southern cliffs that once stood like a cathedral. The 2007 Pisco earthquake brought its roof down, leaving only the pillars. At the lookout, a sign with the old photo lets you compare before and after.

A small cove inside the reserve where fishing boats and a few seafood restaurants gather. The catch of the day becomes ceviche and fried platters. Anyone circling the reserve by car or bike stops here for lunch.

The pier jutting out from Paracas village, where every Ballestas boat departs. Pelicans waddle along it beside the fishermen. Boats leave in a morning rush; afternoon seas get rough and fewer sail.

A clifftop lookout at the reserve's southern tip, above rocks where sea lions lie in heaps. Their barking and smell reach the viewing point. Gusts are fierce, so a jacket helps, and the edge has no railing, so mind children.

Flocks of Chilean flamingos feed in the shallow inner bay of the reserve. Legend says independence hero San Martin chose the flag's colours after seeing them. You can't approach the birds, so binoculars make the difference.