9 Boat Trips in Peru Worth Booking

1.Ballestas Islands Morning Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 301 reviews · 2 hours · from $17Our pick

From Muelle El Chaco, you’ll cruise to El Candelabro and the Ballestas Islands with an English or Spanish guide. Expect sea lions, Humboldt penguins, seabirds, rock formations, life jackets, and a covered speedboat. Guides such as Daphne and Mario are especially helpful at spotting wildlife.

“Daphne and Mario were spectacular. Both very helpful in locating wildlife and to show us anything we may be missing. At first we were listening and they found us! Great English language too. Very personable. very organized and even chairs to sit on while waiting for the tour. The wildlife was phenomenal. The rock formations were more than we expected. This tour is priceless. Thank you so much. The boat was clean and each seat had a vibrant life jacket on it. . The drive out was well controlled. TheyThe boat is covered. Great viewing opportunity.”

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2.Swimming with Sea Lions Palomino Islands Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 130 reviews · 2h 30m · from $76Top rated

From El Mirador in Callao, sail past El Camotal and San Lorenzo Island to Palomino Island. Put on a neoprene suit and swim near wild sea lions, or stay aboard for penguins, pelicans, and other seabirds. English and Spanish guides, snacks, drinks, and safety equipment are included.

“Fantastic. A unique experience I'll never forget. The guides were great 👍”

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3.Ballestas Island Cruise & Paracas Reserve Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 27 reviews · from $55

Meet your English- or Spanish-speaking guide at Las Adventure in Paracas for a group speedboat ride to Ballestas, a stop at the Candelabro, and a drive through Paracas National Reserve. See penguins, sea lions, pelicans, Playa Roja, and Lagunillas Beach before transport to Huacachina or Ica.

“L'esperienza è stata molto ben organizzata e molto gradita. I trasporti, le guide, l'organizzazione...tutto davvero apprezzato! Inoltre tutti sono stati di una gentilezza incredibile!”

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4.Sea Lion Swim and Wildlife Palomino Islands Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 20 reviews · 4 hours · from $76

From La Punta, you cruise to San Lorenzo Island and the Palomino Islands with a bilingual guide, then enter the Pacific in a wetsuit to swim near wild sea lions. You may also spot Humboldt penguins, pelicans, boobies, and guano birds. Hotel pickup from Miraflores and San Isidro is optional.

“Dear Maciej, Thank you! We're so glad you had a great time exploring the Palomino Islands and swimming with sea lions. Hope to see you again soon!”

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5.Ballestas Islands and Candelabra of Paracas Boat

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 7 reviews · 2 hours · from $25

Meet your English or Spanish-speaking guide at Paracas port for a two-hour eco-friendly boat trip to the 120-meter Candelabra geoglyph and Ballestas Islands. Look for sea lions, Humboldt penguins, guanays, boobies, pelicans, and other seabirds, with safety gear and luggage storage included.

“The boat tour it self was awesome. The meetup place was wrong and when I got there the guide told me I had to pay a taxi fee of 16 sols. The taxi was him walking me to the boat.”

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6.Ballestas Islands Guided Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 7 reviews · from $20

From Paracas, you’ll ride a speedboat past the Candelabra geoglyph and out to the Ballestas Islands. An English or Spanish guide points out sea lions, seabirds, Humboldt penguins, caves, and arches. The $20 price includes a lifejacket, guide, and island entrance fee.

“Wonderful experience on the speedboat. Felt safe, saw all of what we had hoped to see including many Humboldt penguins”

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7.Ballestas Islands Boat tour – Islas Ballestas

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 5 reviews · 2 hours · from $35

From El Chaco Pier, you’ll cruise toward the Ballestas Islands with a Spanish or English-speaking guide. The route includes the mysterious Candelabro geoglyph, sea lions, Humboldt penguins, seabirds, and possible dolphin or whale sightings. The $35 price covers the boat, lifejacket, and guide, but not the S/16 environmental tax.

“Wycieczka godna polecenia. Warto dopracować obsługę klienta. Mieliśmy trochę problemów przy odszukaniu operatora w Paracas.”

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8.Palomino Islands Yacht Tour and swim alongside the sea lions

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 4 reviews · 5 hours · from $125

From Miraflores, Barranco, or San Isidro, you’ll ride to Callao, cruise past Lima’s coastal islands, and swim for 15 to 20 minutes near wild sea lions at the Palomino Islands. An English or Spanish guide, crew, lifejacket, and hotel transport are included.

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9.3-hour sunset boat ride

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 3 reviews · 3 hours · from $50

Join Cristian and Walter, when assigned, for a three-hour evening cruise from Puerto Maldonado. You will watch the sunset over the Madre de Dios River, enter Tambopata National Reserve, pause for jungle sounds, and look for caimans, capybaras, bats, birds, and turtles.

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