Paracas, The Poor Man's Galapagos

It seemed a shame to come all the way to South America and not visit the Galapagos Islands but a paradise so perfect comes with a hefty price tag; one which at this stage of our trip, we simply could not afford. However, we found an alternative which has been dubbed 'The Poor Man's Galapagos' because it offers a similar glimpse at the exotic wildlife along the coast for a fraction of the price.

Paracas in Peru is a tiny little beach town and we needed only one day there to tick off both activities it has to offer. The first was a boat tour of the Ballestas Islands where we spotted a wide variety of seabirds in their natural habitats. Though initially shocked at the sheer size of the pelicans, and charmed by the little penguins shimmying their way down to the water's edge, we soon lost interest in the hundreds of other species of bird which were completely indistinguishable from regular blackbirds or overgrown pigeons. Other tourists on the boat went wild for the sea lions basking out on the rocks but having shared a picnic bench with a couple in New Zealand, we remained a little underwhelmed. It was another of those moments when we realised just what an incredible year we've had and how so many of our experiences will never be upstaged.

Just before midday, we were picked up by a minibus and taken to Paracas' natural reserve a few kilometres out of town. It consists entirely of desert but is unique in the way that it sits along the coast. Interestingly, it's also where the country sources a large majority of its natural salt and our guide literally scooped grains up from the ground for us to try. He later pointed out a rare type of seaweed found here which turns the sand red and is used for the colourings of cosmetics such as lipstick and hand creams. Aside from it being mildly educational, we could have given the reserve a miss. In fact, if I'm to be totally honest, the best part about Paracas was the street food we bought from the one and only stall in the square: barbecued chorizo and chicken heart kebabs! Perhaps if the weather had been more pleasant, the whole experience would have been slightly better but I suddenly felt rather pleased that we hadn't forked out the hundreds of pounds to visit the actual Galapagos. Even if the real deal is doubly as beautiful, I'm still not sure it would have been worth the money.