Ballestas Islands

(Local Name: Islas Ballestas) The Islas Ballestas (Ballestas Islands) are almost directly west of Pisco. Many visitors come to Pisco and this area of the coast just for the sole purpose of visiting the Islas Ballestas.

The islands and the waters around them are home to hundreds of thousands of birds, large colonies of sea lions, pelicans, penguins, and dolphins. The Islas Ballestas are sometimes referred to as the 'poorman's Galapagose'.

The boat tours, which visit the islands daily, leave in the mornings from Pisco. The full tour takes passengers passed the 'Candelabra', a hillside geoglyph seen from the coast and then spends a considerable amount of time boating around the islands watching for wildlife. This tour is generally a half-day trip, returning around noon.