The Palomino Islands are one of the best tourist attractions in Lima and Callao. It is only 14 kilometers from the port via a boat ride. The best way to go is through a tour that includes all the necessary implements. Once on the island, you will be able to see hundreds of sea lions and sea birds that find the necessary space there for their reproduction. It is a different experience in the trip through Lima. The Palomino Islands are one of the best tourist attractions in Callao as it offers a short trip by sea full of beautiful landscapes and the characteristic fauna of the place.
Palomino Islands
These islands are home to different species of seabirds that choose this desolate place to hatch. However, the great attraction is the more than eight thousand sea lions that find the ideal habitat for reproduction there. During the journey by sea you can see other islands such as: San Lorenzo Island, El Frontn Island as well as the Cavinzas Islands, famous for housing the striking Humboldt penguin. This magical and beautiful place is ideal to visit in the current summer season. The protected area is part of the National Reserve System of Islands, Islets and Guaneras Points (RNSIIPG) that from Piura to Moquegua houses 22 islands and 11 guano points along the Peruvian coast. The National Service of Natural Protected Areas (Sernanp) by the State explained that the islands are made up of small islets that are located 6 miles from the port of Callao and west of San Lorenzo Island. The place is considered the first natural tourist destination in Callao, this protected natural area has a great sensitivity and harmony that is manifested through a varied wildlife, the most representative being the sea lion that offers its visitors one of the most wonderful shows off the coast of our capital and whose visit allows you to break with the daily routine. It is one of the best tourist attractions in the city of Lima.
Location
The Palomino islands are located 18 kilometers from the port of Callao (district of La Punta).
How to get?
The starting point is Plaza Grau, where you can arrive by public transport or taxi from the Center of Lima (approximately 1 hour trip). At the Plaza Grau dock there are boats that offer tours to the Palomino Islands. The trip in this boat is 1 hour and 30 minutes. The return trip follows the same route as the outbound trip.
The Boat Trip
The trip by boat (or yacht) offers the immense marine landscape gradually moving away from the port of Callao. During the 18 kilometers that the journey lasts, a series of islands and islets can be seen, of which the following stand out: Camotal (also called the Peruvian Atlantis), San Lorenzo Island (which functioned as a military fort), El Frontn Island ( which served as a prison) and the Cabinzas Islands (where you can see the beautiful Humboldt penguins). The boat trip can cause dizziness to visitors not used to the zigzag of the sea. It is recommended not to travel after having breakfast or lunch. This can cause vomiting and headaches.
Sea Wolves
Once in the Palomino Islands, it is possible to appreciate the great attraction of the place: the hundreds of sea lions. In total there are more than eight thousand, which usually fish in the morning and use the afternoon to sleep. Sea lions like the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. There is an area of the island known as 'The Cemetery' because there old or injured wolves are left to die. At the top fly the vultures, carrion birds that feed in this place. At the end of the visit, those who so wish will be able to swim with the sea lions. For this adventure it is necessary to know how to swim and have a special suit to better withstand the cold waters of Callao. The tours include everything you need to do it safely. The time in the water is approximately 20 minutes.
The birds of the Palomino Islands
The Palomino Islands are inhabited by different species of birds attracted by the fish and the little presence of man. The seagulls, the guanays, the tendrils, the pelicans, the elegant tern as well as the Peruvian boobies stand out. At the end of the 19th century, the proliferation of guano produced by the birds of the islands originated an economic boom called 'The era of guano'. This product was used as a fertilizer in agriculture until the fall in prices and the mismanagement of the Peruvian State caused the decline of the business. Of all the birds of the Palomino Islands, the one that stands out the most is the Humboldt penguin. This flightless bird inhabits the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean off Peru and Chile (the Humboldt Current). It is estimated that there are about 400 Humboldt penguins on these islands.
What to see on Palominos Island?
Palominos Island is the home of sea lions, which inhabit the coasts of South America, very characteristic for their reddish mane and for having a life of up to 50 years. Live the experience of swimming with these animals from Palominos Island. Also enjoy the landscape that this island offers, since it is worthy of very good photographs The neighboring island is called Cavinzas, where old sea lions take refuge but is also home to a variety of guano birds such as pelicans. To get to Palominos Island, it is enough to set sail from the Punta in Callao and in approximately 45 minutes you are already next to the sea lions, the walk there is generally 4 hours. A tour that is recommended to be done in the summer in Lima, since the sea temperature is not so low for many tourists, although tour operators generally supply specialized suits for swimming without any problem.
Tour to Palominos Island
The tour begins at the Drsena Dock (Plaza Grau) or the Marina Club Dock where you board a boat and begin the adventure sailing through the sea. During the first hour you will visit the areas of Chucuito, La Punta, El Camotal, Isla San Lorenzo and El Frontn, until you reach the Cavinzas Islands where an important colony of Humboldt penguins and guano birds such as boobies and guanay live. Then the journey continues to the Palomino Islands where you can see a large colony of sea lions and even enter the sea to see them up close in established spaces and respecting the minimum distances (30 meters from the islands), to then start the return to the starting point. The total time of the tour is between 2 hours and a half to 4 hours (depending on the type of boat and route).
Take Into Account
The visit to the Cavinzas Islands and Palomino Islets takes place from 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. To enter the islands, it is necessary to hire the services of tour operators authorized by the Sernanp. The cost of entering this protected natural area is 11 soles for adults and 5 soles for children under 16 years of age. The cost of the maritime transport service will depend on the type of vessel: catamaran, slider or yacht provided by each tour operator.
Recommendations:
- Bring water, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, windbreaker. Respect the instructions of the guide and/or park ranger and the signs.
- The use of a life jacket is mandatory, avoid making loud noises, avoid touching or feeding the sea lions. Do not throw waste into the sea and deposit it in suitable places once on land.
- Wear sportswear.
- Take your bathing suit and towel in case you want to live the marine adventure of swimming.
- If you tend to dizzy, have a light breakfast.
- Bring a waterproof jacket in case you are not going swimming.
- If there is sun, use sunscreen and a hat.
- All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Other islands of Callao
In addition to the Palomino islands, during the trip you can see the following islands of Callao:
Isla El Camotal
Small islet that served as sweet potato cultivation land (hence its name). It is said that more than ten thousand people worked there until an earthquake in October 1746, and a subsequent tsunami, sank the islet. Approximately eight hundred people died from this tragedy. Today it can only be seen in summer (time of low tide). It is only 10 minutes from the port of Callao. It is also called 'Peruvian Atlantis'.
San Lorenzo Island
This island, the largest on the Peruvian coast, covers an area of 1,648 hectares. Since pre-Inca times it was used as a cemetery. The island was used throughout the history of Peru. There the pirates and corsairs who sought to assault Lima made their operations center. Also the Spanish who attacked the famous fortress of Real Felipe. In 1835 it was explored by Charles Darwin. In 1906 it was excavated by the archaeologist Max Uhle. It currently serves as a base for the Peruvian Navy.
Isla El Frontn
This small island is famous for housing the prison of the same name, where the most dangerous criminals in the country were imprisoned. In 1986 there was a riot organized by the prisoners of the Shining Path movement. The balance was the death of 118 inmates, many unofficially, which until today is the subject of investigation. Currently the island is abandoned.
Cavinza Island
This small group of islands and islets covers an area of 7.58 hectares. The important wildlife that inhabits there have made it a protected site by the Peruvian State. Bird species such as the guanay, the Peruvian booby, the pelican, the tendril, the red-legged cormorant, the vulture and, above all, the Humboldt penguin, stand out. Just like the Palomino Islands, boats with tourists arrive on its shores to enjoy its amazing marine animal life.
How to go with tour? How much does it cost?
The tour is the best option to visit the Palomino Islands. The cost for adults is 120 Peruvian soles (about 40 dollars approximately). The cost for children is 90 Peruvian soles (approximately 30 dollars). Tours include boats, professional guide, lifeguard equipment and equipment to swim with sea lions. You can get the tour in the same Plaza Miguel Grau (Callao). If you only want to take the boat ride around the islands (without swimming with the sea lions) the costs are 70 Peruvian soles for adults and 40 Peruvian soles for children. The boats can be obtained in the same port. Prices are referential and may vary.
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