Venture just 3 hours south of Lima to the surprising and unique landscape of stark, coastal desert, and one of only a few red sand beaches in the world, surrounded by stunning turquoise water that is very nutrient-rich, sustaining a large variety of dolphins, whales, orcas, sea lions, Humboldt penguins, leatherback and hawksbill turtles, and flamingoes. This reserve also has one of the highest concentrations of sea birds in the world. And to mix in a bit of history, there is a museum inside the reserve with archaeological treasures from the Paracas, an ancient Andean civilization.