Islas Palomino
Islas Palomino
4.6
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4.6
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RuthyGlasgow
Glasgow904 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Great boat trip from the small port of Callao outside Lima to Palomino Island to swim with the sea lions and see the Herons and Penguins. Weather was great so great boat trip out and back again. Seeing the sea lions in their vast numbers with their noisy barks and antics was amusing, albeit the terrible stench. Not a lot of penguins to see and a few herons. As for swimming with the sea lions the water was so cold and decided to not go into water re health and ability. They did supply wet suits for everyone but you still get soaking wet. Everyone who went in (not all on the boat) said they enjoyed it with some people getting their toes nibbled by the sea lions? Took photos for the brave of them in the sea with the lions! Great trip. Wee snack and drink on way back.
Written 4 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa E
Winston Salem, NC6 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
Once in a lifetime experience. We booked with a tour company and I went with my three teens and six-year-old. We left from Lima, took a van half an hour, then took a rowboat out to a bigger yacht. The yacht was broken and had to be fixed. This put us back a while. Then it was about 1.5 hours to the island. The boat ride was beautiful and relaxing. Swimming with the sea lions was both smelly and amazing. We brought nose plugs but didn’t use them. Everyone spent the entire 20 minutes splashing near the sea lions. So fun. And then 1.5 hours back over rough seas.
Written 29 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lina S
Toronto, Canada12 contributions
Apr 2023 • Friends
Boat ride to 4 islands was good. However, the ride was very choppy so people who get seasick will not have a good time. At least 5 people on ride got very sick. Notwithstanding that, it was very interesting to see thousands of sea lions, and swim near them. Interesting ride!
Written 30 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Las Buganvillas
Cartagena, Colombia901 contributions
Jan 2020
Various tourist companies offer tours to Palomino Islands. It takes about three to there and a half hours from the port and municipality of Callao. and tourists are allowed to spend 20 minutes swimming with sea lions. It is a spectacular sight of some 4000 sea lions assuming you do not mind terrible stench.
Apart from pelicans and r seabirds, there are no other attractions on this tour, but sea lions are definitely worth a visit to Palomino.
Apart from pelicans and r seabirds, there are no other attractions on this tour, but sea lions are definitely worth a visit to Palomino.
Written 1 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edwin william w
Belgium, WI3 contributions
Oct 2022
A very good experience, it was fantastic to be able to swim in the middle of the sea with the sea lions. The guide was super friendly, friendly, very attentive and very knowledgeable. Thanks to Peru Xperts for being part of our tourist experiences.
Written 3 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rae M
Lima, Peru16 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
This is a fantastic half day trip to do from Lima - definitely worth it!
Our boat ride to the islands lasted approx 2.5hrs and cost s/120pp. We had great weather and a friendly guide who explained (in English) some of the history of the Islands, the prison and the guano mining of the past. The islands up close are quite beautiful to look at and there are plenty of birds, penguins and of course the sea lions. Swimming with them is an amazing experience! They are loud and curious and you really get up close to these beautiful animals. You will be surrounded by them - they might even give you a playful nudge! It truly is a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed!
Recommendations - sunscreen is a must, wetsuit - it should be provided (it's freezing!) and a go-pro or waterproof camera would be fantastic!
After your boat trip go to the nearby area La Punta for a great ceviche lunch!
Our boat ride to the islands lasted approx 2.5hrs and cost s/120pp. We had great weather and a friendly guide who explained (in English) some of the history of the Islands, the prison and the guano mining of the past. The islands up close are quite beautiful to look at and there are plenty of birds, penguins and of course the sea lions. Swimming with them is an amazing experience! They are loud and curious and you really get up close to these beautiful animals. You will be surrounded by them - they might even give you a playful nudge! It truly is a once in a lifetime experience not to be missed!
Recommendations - sunscreen is a must, wetsuit - it should be provided (it's freezing!) and a go-pro or waterproof camera would be fantastic!
After your boat trip go to the nearby area La Punta for a great ceviche lunch!
Written 22 February 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jaime_RC
16 contributions
Apr 2013
There is little I can add to other reviews. It is a great experience; you literally swim with sea lions in the wild.
I only have one piece if advice. Do not book this trip at the airport, you'll pay double (literally). There are many agencies that you can contact on the phone from your hotel or you can even get to the port (Callao) on your own and get a ticket right there, usually at a discount.
I only have one piece if advice. Do not book this trip at the airport, you'll pay double (literally). There are many agencies that you can contact on the phone from your hotel or you can even get to the port (Callao) on your own and get a ticket right there, usually at a discount.
Written 29 April 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Panu
Provo, UT169 contributions
Nov 2018 • Family
We love animal encounters and I learned about swimming with sea lions as a fun day trip for us on our last day in Peru. The descriptions below are accurate; very rocky ride (2+ people started throwing up early in the trip on our boat) and the water is really cold. We had our 2 and 4-year olds with us. They didn't experience any sea sickness, and my wife and I took turns swimming so we could keep our eye on the kids.
One word of advice; a blog I'd read said to bring your own snorkel. We did, but it was a total waste. The water is so green and choppy that there was no visible under water. all the excitement is floating in the ocean, seeing how close you can get to a sea lion, and trying to get them to nibble on your toes!
I've heard the sea lion numbers reported anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000. The final count doesn't really matter - as you see in the photos they cover the whole island and lots are in the water at any given time.
One word of advice; a blog I'd read said to bring your own snorkel. We did, but it was a total waste. The water is so green and choppy that there was no visible under water. all the excitement is floating in the ocean, seeing how close you can get to a sea lion, and trying to get them to nibble on your toes!
I've heard the sea lion numbers reported anywhere from 3,000 to 8,000. The final count doesn't really matter - as you see in the photos they cover the whole island and lots are in the water at any given time.
Written 27 November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_alex_trudgeonmaddix
Miami, FL30 contributions
Feb 2018 • Friends
I've never seen so many sea lions in their natural habitat, that was just an amazing experience. At was I first a little scared due to their teeth and the noise they made but when our guide told us that they are just curious and don't do anything if you don't attack them I was more relaxed. We were advised not to touch them just in case but as they were so curious they swam between my legs and my arms! It was really a unique day on which we saw many sea lions, birds, even some penguins and of course the Palomino islands which were larger than I imagined. Great option for a half-day activity in Lima, especially for December - March when temperatures are high. As I read positive reviews about exploor I also bought it with them and I don't have anything to complain about.
However, make sure you get the direction right when heading to Callao! Apparently this district is not that safe so I'd recommend taking an Uber for sure. In Peru Uber is relatively cheap in comparison to the States so no worries about the prices ;) Enjoy!
However, make sure you get the direction right when heading to Callao! Apparently this district is not that safe so I'd recommend taking an Uber for sure. In Peru Uber is relatively cheap in comparison to the States so no worries about the prices ;) Enjoy!
Written 6 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
greenspratley
Surrey, Canada625 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
We booked this trip on line through a company called Trippers Peru. A car picked us up from our apartment and took us to the boat. The water was a little rough on the way out, but we saw lots of birds, people fishing and sea lions swimming near the various islands. Our guide provided us with lots of information about the area which was very interesting.When we arrived at the place where we were to jump into the water in wet suits, we saw the nearby island was covered in sea lions and they were all around us in the water. Our guide said there were 5 000 of them. Once we adjusted to the shock of the cold water, we floated on our back with our feet up. The sea lions were very curious and would come right up to us and tickle our feet with their whiskers. It was an incredible experience! We saw a lot of wonderful places during our three weeks in Peru, but this was one of the main highlights.
Written 18 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Apparently locals say that the water is too cold for sharks, but Seal Island in South Africa which is notorius for great white sharks is a colder water temperature. Is this just an accident waiting to happen?
Written 15 April 2023
Nature or god or whatever you named that created fauna y flora, Is undoubtedly peruvian. Perú Is the best
Written 1 February 2025
Boa tarde! gostaria de saber valores, se compra antecipadamente ou pode deixar p comprar la e se recomenda a agencia.
Written 29 December 2019
Eu comprei pela internet no dia anterior ao passeio. A agencia é organizada. Você terá que pagar na hora, antes do barco sair uma taxa de “preservação ambiental”. Não lembro os valores mas nada muito caro.
Written 30 December 2019
Boa tarde! gostaria de saber valores, se compra antecipadamente ou pode deixar p comprar la e se recomenda a agencia.
Written 29 December 2019
Hi there!
Wondering what tour operators people used?
Thank you!
Written 16 August 2018
Olá, tudo bem? Você lembra qual foi o valor do passeio por pessoa? Obrigada!
Written 4 January 2018
Camila, infelizmente não lembro o valor. Sei que foi inferior a 40 dólares por pessoa e sei que ficava mais em conta, fazendo como fizemos, ou seja, pegando um uber/táxi para o Cais e de lá acertando o valor, que é tabelado entre os vendedores.
Written 4 January 2018
Hello, I would like to visit the Palomino Islands the day after my arrival in Lima (arrival planned at 22h).
That's why I would have to book now on internet.
Which site / guide do you advise you to book? Also, is there a hotel (parternaire?) that you could advise me?
Thank you in advance ! :)
--------
Bonjour, j'aimerais visiter les iles Palomino le lendemain de mon arrivée à Lima (arrivée prévue à 22h).
C'est pourquoi il faudrait donc que je réserve dès maintenant via internet.
Par quel site/quel guide opérateur me conseillez vous de passer pour réserver ? De plus, il y a t-il un hotel (parternaire ?) que vous pourriez me conseiller ?
Merci d'avance !
Written 26 June 2017
Hello the reservation you can make them through the website of the agency lima vision is a recommendable agency and with respect to the hotel the most recommendable that makes the reservation by means of a web page where you will get discounts
I hope I have helped
regards
Moises gallegos
Written 27 June 2017
alguma agencia de turismo sai de lima para fazer esse passeio?
Written 7 May 2017
Sim, a Ecocruceros. Em Miraflores você consegue comprar o passeio.
Written 8 May 2017
Hello!
How much time should be dedicated to this trip?
How much did it cost for the trip (travel from lima + swimming?) I saw a person stating it was 100 peruvian sols? (wow that's cheap)
Written 25 April 2017
Yeah cheapest tours around 35 USD. They pick you up from the harbour, 2 hours boat journey (they offer you some free pills against sea sickness) and when you arrive the island they stop. You may or may not (it's up to you) pick up one of the diving suits and go near to the sealions with one of the ship staff (or local guide you may call). Including the stop this trip is about 4 hours.
Written 25 April 2017
Hmm, wondering if we could do this off our cruise ship in Callao, the day we disembark. The problem would be our luggage, not sure if that would work, maybe the ship would keep it. Anybody done this?
Written 6 August 2016
We did it from our cruise ship but we got in a day early (medical issue with one of passengers) so we didn't have luggage issue. I don't think the ship will hold luggage and there is no way to get back to ship once you leave - it is deep inside the port and gate is high security.
There are also no facilities in Callao to hold luggage that I saw. When you get off bus which takes you to gate, it is a mob scene with 100's of "taxi" drivers wanting your business. Callao is also a pretty rough city.
We went with another couple and the driver we picked was great but we were very worried about the safety of getting to where the tour boat leaves from.
I think your best option is to leave luggage at hotel if you're staying overnight or at airport if your flying out later that evening. Note: Airport and hotels are about 30-60 minutes from Callao.
Have a nice trip.
Written 7 August 2016
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