Stunning Rock Vistas And Dolphin Sightings Make These Underrated Islands A Treat To Behold

Determined to experience the destination of a lifetime but don't fancy splashing out an eye-watering chunk of your savings on visiting the Galápagos Islands? Well then, welcome to the Ballestas Islands, aka "the poor man's Galápagos." Jutting out from rough Pacific waters off the Peruvian coast, jagged black rocks play host to hundreds of flopping sea lions and hosts of rare flocking seabirds. Set out on a boat tour from the shore to see the best of the Galápagos' wildlife without the hefty price tag or the cruise ship crowds.

The Ballestas Islands are a small scattering of craggy, uninhabited islands found 15 miles off shore. The most convenient jump off point, where you'll find plenty of Pacific bound tours, is the town of Paracas. A short drive from the hard liquor sipping desert town of Pisco, where you should stop off to join a raucous pisco tasting tour, Paracas is a quiet beach 150 miles south of the capital, Lima. Buses run regularly from Lima, or day tours and car hires are easily found in the city.

Despite being too underrated to rank on the ultimate bucket lists for a vacation to South America, the Ballestas Islands offer one of the most unique marine wildlife watching opportunities in Latin America. Splayed across the rust red rocks and jagged black crag of the small, rugged isles, playful, curious sea lions and seals gather in their hundreds. Bathing in the high equatorial sun, they're easily spotted year-round from the tour boats bobbing by the wave-chiseled rock face.

Tougher to spot, dolphins and whales also orient towards the abundant islands. Humpback whales skim South America's Pacific coast, making their islands top destinations for whale watching. They migrate from Antarctica to reproduce and to birth their giant calves between mid-July and late-October. Pods of dolphins often join the fray, too. Moving in a pack, they'll occasionally treat tour boats to a wild marine show as they navigate around the Ballestas' crag.

There are several avian species that many consider synonymous with the Galápagos. Few expect to spot the cocked heads of curious blue footed boobies, waddling in an ungainly fashion over volcanic rock, in Peru. Humboldt penguins, too, are more or less a guaranteed sighting on a Galápagos cruise. Yet both species thrive in the Ballestas Natural Reserve, along with the more than 200 other avian species that make a stop in the islands during their annual migrations.

Though birdwatching highlights like penguins, boobies, and diving pelicans are a year-round treat, there are plenty of other rare birds circulating the ragged rocks for shorter stretches. Keep a keen eye out for Peruvian and Inca terns, flittering surf cinclodes and red-legged cormorants. Between April and December, it's even possible to see the sea stained pink by the bright reflection of Chilean flamingos.