lima wildlife encounter

Transfer to your hotel

For lovers of history and architecture, delight in the beauty and majesty of Lima’s past in a guided stroll in and around her historic city center to view her most iconic buildings, homes, and churches. We will travel by car toward downtown Lima. Before arriving at Plaza San Martin, our first stop, you will glimpse three noteworthy classic buildings, the Italian Art Museum, the Palacio Justicia (Supreme Court Building), and the Palacio Francés (Rimac Building). Arriving at Plaza San Martín, we’ll enter the Hotel Bolivar. This hotel was built in 1924, and its opulent interior is quite impressive. Adorned with statuesque columns, marble hallways, domed ceilings, and decorated with classical furniture pieces, to step into the Hotel Bolivar is to enter a more elegant time. After a brief visit, we will stroll onward to Jr. De la Union to view the distinguished façades of the Palais Concert, (dating from 1913), and La Merced Church, erected in 1535 and built in the Baroque Style. Entering the Central Reserve Bank of Peru Museum, we will view some of its exhibits, which include coins and paper money through the ages, as well as a variety of paintings, archaeological, and historical items of note. We will continue to view the exteriors of the Palacio de Torre Tagle (completed in 1735), and wander into the Basilica and Convent of San Pedro, with its impressive twin domes, completed in 1638. We will head towards the Monasterio de San Francisco with its large outer courtyard and twin yellow domes. After viewing its splendid façade, we’ll take a short walk for our little refreshment break at Café Urqu, which specializes in made-to-order coffee drinks and light snacks. We’ll continue to view the façade of the House of Peruvian Literature, followed by El Cordano, one of Lima’s oldest restaurants, dating from 1905 and the meeting place of artists and intellectuals. We will also note some of Lima’s highly decorated wooden balconies built in the 17th and 18th centuries, which were influential in having Lima’s downtown declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Heading towards Lima’s Main Plaza, we will note the famed Governor’s Palace and other buildings on the Main Square, and then we will pay a visit to Casa de Aliaga, inhabited by the same family for 17 generations over a period of five centuries! A stroll through the lavish rooms of this ancestral house takes one back through history to the very beginnings of the Viceroyalty of Lima. Traversing its luxurious salons, patios, and passages, you will feel yourself immersed in five centuries of Peruvian history. After this visit, we will admire the Casa de Correos (Post Office Building), the Santo Domingo Church, dating from 1530, and the Casa Osambela, a three-story blue mansion with several impressive wooden balconies. We’ll take a walk along the Alameda Chabuca Granda, a wide promenade along the Rimac River open to foot traffic only, back to our transportation for a short drive to Casa Tambo where we will have lunch. After a delicious meal at this majestic mansion, we head back to the hotel. (B / L)

Set sail with us for a full-day wildlife viewing and cultural history adventure aboard a yacht to the Palomino and San Lorenzo Islands off the shores of Callao (seaport of Lima). These islands are home to a colony of exuberant, noisy sea lions and Humboldt Penguins, the only native Peruvian penguin species. On our 90-minute boat ride to the islands, we will be able to observe diverse species of seabirds, including pelicans, sea gulls, cormorants, and boobies.  Our guide will explain the history of the islands we pass, including El Camotal, so named because it was once an agricultural spot dedicated to sweet potatoes (camotes). It is now underwater due to the earthquake of 1746, but some ruins can be viewed by peering into the water from above. We’ll visit El Frontón, which was formerly a high security prison and the site of an infamous uprising by the Sendero Luminoso in 1986, and Cavinzas Island, with its enormous deposits of seabird guano, once an important Peruvian export.  Finally arriving at Palomino Island, you will first hear and then see a herd comprising literally hundreds of playful sea lions. You can observe them from the boat or don a wetsuit and experience what will certainly turn out to be among the highlights of your Peru trip: an up-close encounter with wildlife as you swim among the sea lions!  After this magical experience, re-board the yacht as we motor over to San Lorenzo Island, to observe its thriving colony of attractive Humboldt Penguins, the only species of penguin native to Peru. Charles Darwin once visited San Lorenzo to study its geology and wildlife. Today, it is under the jurisdiction of the Peruvian Navy. Heading back to La Punta, we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch at the Yacht Club, known for its delightful locally sourced seafood dishes. After lunch, we’ll take a leisurely stroll along the Wiese Malecón (Boardwalk) to view thousands of migratory and residential birds at the Posa de la Arenilla Coastal Wetlands. This is one of the most significant birding spots for aquatic birds in Peru. Various species of seagulls, boobies, terns, sandpipers, and others can be observed as they flock, fly, and screech over and around this marine refuge. To wrap up our full day tour, we will take a stroll around La Punta, one of the seven districts of Callao. We’ll observe homes dating from the beginning of the last century. We’ll start at the Pardo Malecón (Boardwalk), from which we will have a view of San Lorenzo Island. We will also visit the Plaza de Armas, the Church of the Sacred Heart, and La Punta’s colossal mansions. We will learn about the history of this region, observing the Malecón Figueredo, the Naval School, various Nautical Clubs and the historic La Merced Battery, active in the Battle of Callao of 1866. (B / L)

This is one of the most popular tours for birders in Lima. A full-day tour that combines water birds at the Villa Marshes Reserve near Lima and seabirds at the Pucusana fishing village. Plus, some birding at the Lurin river on the way back to the city. You can expect to see between 60 to 80 species on this day depending on the season including specialties like Peruvian Thick-knee, the endemic Surf Cinclodes and Humboldt Penguins. We start our tour early in the morning to avoid the rush hour and we head directly to the Pantanos de Villa Reserve. The Villa marshes are the only protected area within the city limits of Lima. It was declared a RAMSAR (International Convention of Wetlands) site in 1997. This complex of lagoons, pools and marsh areas made up of totora reed clumps, are part of a migratory corridor and resting point for several bird species along the Peruvian coast. More than 130 bird species have been recorded here, and at least 40 species can be seen on a single visit. Our next stop is the fishing village of Pucusana, about 60 Km (38 miles) south of Lima. Pucusana is located inside a small cove and protected by an island just in front of the town. From here we will take a boat to navigate the waters around the island where we will have close views of some of the Humboldt current specialties like Peruvian Pelican, Peruvian Boobie, Guanay Cormorant, Red-legged Cormorant, Blackish Oystercatcher, Belcher’s Gull, the endemic Surf Cinclodes, Humboldt Penguins and the stunning Inca Terns. Continuing with the navigation we visit a small colony of South American Sea Lions. This rocky coast is also the habitat of the endangered Marine Otter, one of the smallest otter species in the world. After our pelagic trip we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Then we’ll move to our next location at the Lurin River. This area is home to the rufescens subspecies of Bran-colored Flycatcher that might be split in the future. Other species that we can observe in this area includes Croaking Ground-dove, Amazilia Hummingbird, Peruvian Sheartail, Purple- collared Woodstar, Long-tailed Mockingbird, Scrub Blackbird, Harris’s Hawk and Peruvian Meadowlark. (B / L)