This trip will take us across one of the few areas of the Peruvian coastline that have no villages or roads, only accesible by sea and where the most beautiful beaches in Peru are found. Using special expedition sea kayaks, we will cover more than 65 km of volcanic and desert lands with a unique geography, often accompanied by dolphins and sea lions, as well as other species of the area’s rich sea fauna. We will explore coves, caves and heavenly beaches, visiting the natural habitats of sea lions and Humboldt penguins. |
DAY 1
Early in the morning, our private transport will take us on a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Arequipa to the port of Matarani. Upon arrival, we will prepare the equipment and, after a few necessary instructions for the paddling, we will start the journey. We will leave the port, head towards the open sea and paddle along the coast for three hours, until we reach Quebrada Honda, our first campsite.
Día 2, 3, 4 Y 5
Everyday, after having a hearty breakfast and getting ready for the paddling, we will start our journey along the coast. On the way, we will explore coves with desert beaches and their calm waters, caves that we may enter with our kayaks, communities of curious sea lions and penguins, dolphins that will swim very close to us and a great variety of birdlife.
We will paddle between 2 and 4 hours every day, maintaining a cautious distance from the coast to avoid the rough whitewaters of breaking waves. In addition, we will have the back-up of a motor boat that will sail along with us, carrying the camping equipment and ready to help if somebody feels a bit too tired, while staying far enough not to make noise and scare the animals away.
The beaches where we will either take a rest or camp have calm waters with no waves. We will reach our campsites early and usually have lunch right there to then enjoy a free afternoon of various activities: we can walk along the beach or nearby gullies and visit the natural habitats of sea lions and penguins, or paddle to other interesting beaches or coves; we can scuba dive, explore caves or simply relax at the campsite.
Besides the comfortable expedition tents, our camp will have a kitchen tent with a cook and and assistant who will timely provide us with meals: breakfast, a snack for the paddling, lunch, an afternoon tea and a hearty dinner. We will also have a central tent to protect us from the strong sun, as well as a toilet tent. At night, we will sit around a bonfire and enjoy the night sky, enabling us to learn about the names of constellations, stars and planets, depending on the season of the year.
We will spend our last night in a cozy lodge, the only inhabited site of our trip, and savour the delights of its seashell farm.
The last day of the trip, we will paddle up to the small fishermans’ port of Caleta Quilca. According to the chronicles, this is the hidden spot from where the Huascar attacked Chilean ships during the War of the Pacific. It is also here that our private transport will be waiting to take us back to the city of Arequipa. |
