In a nutshellAn exciting and enchanting boat excursion to the main islands facing Callao: the island of San Lorenzo, home to lovely penguins, and the Palomino islands with their wonderful seabird and sea lion colonies. A fabulous display of nature that we can immortalise on camera or admire up close with a swim in the cool, clear waters that surround the islands.

Main stops

Real Felipe Fortress (panoramic)
El Camotal: site of ancient shipwrecks
Sail past the island of San Lorenzo: penguin and seabird colonies
Palomino islands: caves, caverns and large sea lion colonies (photo stop)
Chance to enter the water and swim with sea lions
Light snack on board

The programme

We will leave the port by coach and soon reach Callao Marina Yacht Club where a boat will be waiting to take us to the islands of San Lorenzo and Palomino.
After putting on our life jackets and getting our cameras at the ready, we will sail off from the harbour leaving the luxury yachts, fishing boats and container ships behind us as we head for the open sea.
The first point of interest that our captain will indicate so that we can immortalise it on camera is Real Felipe Fortress, built in the 18th century to defend Peru’s main port and the city of Lima against pirates and privateers during the Colonial Period. The fortress is named after King Philip V (Felipe in Spanish) of Spain and it was where the Peruvians fought one of their last battles for independence from the Spanish.
As we sail along, we will reach the point known as El Camotal, where the water is shallow and, as our guide will reveal, in the past shipwrecks were discovered and many boats sunk after violent storms.
A fair distance away from the coast of Peru, we will catch sight of the island of San Lorenzo, the biggest island in Peru, currently used as a naval base. In the 19th century, it was also an importance research centre for naturalist Charles Darwin thanks to the wide variety of flora and fauna there. The island’s unspoilt ecosystem consists of colonies of penguins and a variety of other seabirds. The lack of drinking water on the island has prevented any human settlement but it played an important role for the pre-Incan civilisations. Also known as 'Mysterious Island', San Lorenzo was the stage for battles between privateers, buccaneers and English and Dutch sailors, not to mention the Chincha Islands War from 1879 to 1883.
When we have passed the island of San Lorenzo, we will reach the main destination on our excursion, the Palomino islands, a group of rocky islets dotted with caves and caverns that act as a natural refuge for birds and large colonies of sea lions. Hundreds of these adorable animals relax on the rocks while others take to the water to hunt or play and interact with the boat and tourists.
We will have the chance to take lots of photos with the sea lions and if we want to get even closer we can put on our wetsuits and jump into the clear ocean waters and have fun swimming with them.
After our stop at the Palomino islands, we will return to the Yacht Club passing spectacular cliffs, and if the conditions at sea allow, we will also be able to enjoy a light snack on board.

Good to know

For guests wishing to go for a swim, we recommend you put your swimwear on under your clothing before setting off on the excursion as there are no changing rooms on the boat.
A limited number of neoprene wetsuits are available.
A life jacket is provided for the excursion.