Published: 08.05.2024
After being honked at by around 30 taxis while waiting for the bus in the morning, I arrived safely in Paracas! After sitting on the bus for 3 hours, I moved into my 12-bed room and put on my new running shoes that I bought in Trujillo. I got to see a lot on my 8km run! I started at the harbor, ran along the promenade and then added a few kilometers directly on the sand, passing the beautiful villas of Paracas that have tied up their kite equipment, kayaks, boats and jet skis at their own pier. To my right is the sea and a breathtaking view of the nature reserve that I will drive to later.
Back at the hostel, I get to know a few people over breakfast, and then I go to the water park on the beach with them - a jumping and playing paradise with slides, small climbing areas and the occasional fall into the sea. So my activity quota is already covered.
So I still have some time to relax until the afternoon: Now we're off to the nature reserve with the buggies! We take turns driving in pairs and pass through various desert areas, different rock layers and sand of different compositions. We also stop at a few viewpoints: at Playa Yumaque, La Cátedral and Plays Roja. La Cátedral was formed around 28-40 million years ago, but unfortunately shrank a bit after an earthquake in 2007. Playa Roja gets its name (obviously) from the color that the sand gets from the magma it contains. The entire reserve covers 1440 square kilometers and has been protected since 1975. We finish at a viewpoint on Playa Roja at sunset and then pedal back to Paracas. Of course, driving the buggies was also a highlight - I can't undermine that. Unfortunately, I underestimated the wind a bit and after the warm shower I'm now just looking forward to a quiet evening and an early night.