Location: 150 mi (240 km) South of Lima Map
Open: 7am- 6pm daily
Area: 3350 km²
Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello
Bahia de Paracas
Open: 9am- 5pm Tue- Sun
Paracas National Reserve is located 150 mi (240 km) South of Lima in Peru. Paracas National Reserve covers an area of 3350 km² including Paracas Peninsula and seashore along the Pacific Ocean. It was established on September 25 in 1975 to preserve a portion of the sea and desert along with various species of wildlife that lives here. Ecosystem of the marine life is fed by the Peruvian or Humboldt Current and it is considered as one of the most productive area on the Earth allowing many large birds and mammals to inhabit in the area. Paracas National Reserve lies along migration routes of wide variety species of birds.
Paracas Candelabra
Paracas National Reserve in addition to its natural biodiversity is also famous for the ancient art work that was created by the native tribes on a massive scale. Most of these shapes are best visible from sky or from the sea. One of the most famous remains of human presence here is a paracas Candelabra that is located on the North- West side of Paracas Bay. It is also known as Paracas Trident or Tres Cruces. It is 120 meters high and made of cream- colored rock on a sand background. The Candelabra was created on a site of quick winds that removed any excess sand that might hide the shape on a side of a mountain.
Location
It is located in one of the most deserted spots on the
Peruvian coast, in the department of Ica, and covers an area of
335,000 hectares —some 200,000 in the Pacific Ocean—. The Paracas
Peninsula is located in an exceptionally rich maritime zone, whose
upwellings of extremely cold waters produce a great abundance of
plankton that nourishes fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
History
Part of the surface of the reserve, specifically 217,594 hectares, is
made up of aquatic environments (for many people it is the richest sea
on the planet).
Due to its importance as a resting and feeding
place for migratory species, in 1991 it was elevated to the category of
regional reserve of the Hemispheric Network for shorebirds (currently a
Wetlands for the Americas program).
Likewise, in April 1992 it
was recognized as one of the special sites for the Convention on
Wetlands of International Importance (RAMSAR Convention), especially as
a habitat for aquatic species such as sea lions, Humboldt penguins (
that are in danger of extinction), guano birds such as the booby, the
guanay, the pelican and other important species.
Climate
The
climate is typical of the formation of the subtropical desert, that is,
there is approximately a difference of 6 to 8 °C in the average
temperature of the hottest month and the coldest. In February and
August, respectively, it is 22 °C and 15.5 °C, with the annual average
being 18.7 °C. Precipitation is very poor, the total annual average
being 1.83 mm, relative humidity is around 82%, with 83% in winter.
The prevailing winds are south and southwest, reaching an average
speed of 14.9 km/h; however, they can reach up to 32 km/h, being the
strongest on the coast, known by the name of Paracas.
With a mild
climate and an annual average of 22 degrees centigrade and almost
constant sun, with low humidity, the stay is pleasant.
Sea
The
sea is favored by the microcurrents of water, a fact that attracts a
large number of fish, other species in the area and fish farmers. In
general, the Paracas outcrop is one of the 9 most important in the
world. These updrafts bring nutrients from the seabed, fertilizing the
surface waters. This leads to an overproduction of phytoplankton, which
biologists know as high primary productivity.
The reserve
The
reserve has great opportunities on the coast for the conservation and
quiet reproduction of numerous species of resident and migratory birds.
Among the most common are pelicans, the gray gull (Larus modestus),
tendril (Larosterna inca), skimmer (Rynchops nigra), arctic plover
(Pluvialis squatarola), chuita (Phalacrocorax gaimardi), guanay
(Leucocarbo bougainvillii), the condor, the Humboldt penguin (in danger
of extinction) and the parihuanas or flamingos (Phoenicopterus
chilensis), among other species.
The fish found in this maritime
area are: sole (Etropus extenes), toyo blanco (Mustelus whitneyi),
bonito (Sarda chilensis), tramboyo, skate, cheetah, sardine, anchoveta
(Engraulis ringens) Pollock fiatola, grouper, corvina, lorna and many
other species.
The mammals in this reserve are mainly represented
by the fur seals or chusco (Otaria byronia), the fur seal or fur seal
(Arctocephalus australis), the dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and the sea
cat (Lontra felina), this one, in danger of extinction.
The
reserve is also inhabited by leatherback and green turtles, reptiles
such as lizards (Microlophus spp.) and geckos (Phyllodactylus spp.),
octopuses, squid (Loligo gahi), clams and crustaceans such as carter
(Ocypode gaudichaudii), purple crab ( Platyxantus orbigny), the muimuy
(Emerita analoga), among others.
Flora
The vegetation of the
Paracas National Reserve is found in the highest areas (between 400 and
600 meters above sea level) such as Sangayán Island, Morro Quemado and
Cerro Lechuza. These types of plant formations include orchids, cacti
and tillandsias, small date palm forests (datilus) and strangely a
chañar forest (Geoffroea decorticans) that serve as a refuge and habitat
for species of invertebrates, reptiles, birds and small mammals. This
vegetation depends mainly on the humidity generated by the mists, which
determines its seasonality and distribution.
In the brackish
depressions of the Pisco and Paracas area there are pastures, totora and
scrub, many of which are characteristic of wetlands, which are quite
diminished by the excessive extraction of water for the large number of
new hotels and transitory population. who comes to this tourist place.
Fauna
The diverse habitats of the Paracas reserve make it an ideal
place for resting and feeding of migratory shore birds as well as
mammals and reptiles. Among the threatened bird species that are
protected in the reserve are in the rest, feeding and reproduction area
of resident and migratory birds, species such as the flamingo, the
golden plover, the solitary sandpiper, among others, can be observed.
Among the terrestrial mammals, the Andean and coastal foxes stand out,
and among the marine mammals, the otter, the fur seal and the chusco
wolf stand out, as well as species of migratory and resident cetaceans
such as the humpback whale, the dusky dolphin or sea pig, the tonino or
spiny porpoise, the bottlenose dolphin or bufeo, among others.
The Paracas National Reserve is also an important stopover on the
migratory route of four species of sea turtles, the leatherback turtle,
the hawksbill turtle, the green turtle and the parrot-billed turtle
which, due to their meat and shell, are hunted and predated by man and
is on the verge of extinction.
As well as marine mammals, these
turtles are legally protected species and their extraction, processing
and commercialization is prohibited through Law No. 26585.
The
Humboldt penguin and the Peruvian potoyunco, which are in danger of
extinction. Other species in a vulnerable situation are the peregrine
falcon, the chuita and five species of guano birds such as the guanay,
the pelican, the Peruvian booby, the blue-footed booby and the masked
booby.
Recreational activities
Beach tourism, adventure
activities, nature sports, archaeological museum, interpretation center,
observation of cliffs and coastal marine life are the main recreational
activities.
The Cathedral of Paracas
The Cathedral was an
imposing rock formation caused by the erosion of the sea and the wind
over the centuries. Its concave shape was reminiscent of the domes of
cathedrals, and inside it lived some sea cats or chingungos, as well as
sea birds.
The Cathedral was one of the most photographed and
diffused natural images of Peru. Its structure collapsed during the
violent earthquake of magnitude 7.9 Mw on August 15, 2007 that had its
epicenter in the sea, west of the city of Pisco.2 The remains of this
formation are found between the Yumaque and Supay beaches.