Lima: Palomino Islands Excursion & Swimming with Sea Lions with Hotel Transfers

Swimming with 20-30 sealions 2 meters away and seeing penguins + seeing the diversity of the islands passed by.

My only complaint is that I purchased a 125 dollar trip on a yacht. The yacht was unavailable so we went on the 72 dollar trip on a speed boat and only got a $ 20 refund. Rip off. Trip was nice though.

The explanation of how to conduct oneself, and what to expect could have been more thorough. It seemed a little non-chalant. Make sure to bring your own waterproof cover for your phone, as the ones they sell do not see robust enough to protect the phone if one chose to swim with it. The company should have a representative taking pictures of patrons, and/or video taping it to sell after the fact. Also, there should be some type of warning for overweight people regarding the wetsuit and lifejackets. I was trying to help a patron who was overweight get himself safely into his gears, and it was not working. I felt badly for him as it was borderline whether he could get in and swim, and I felt like he really wanted to do so, but was scared/reluctant and I wasn't going to push for that to happen.

Overall I really enjoyed the experience but I did not exactly get what I paid for when it came to this tour. I was picked up by a personable driver and taken to a plaza in Callao to await the boat but was dropped off maybe 45 minutes before I was actually supposed to meet the boat. The person I met who gave me my wrist band didn't speak much English but we were able to communicate enough to determine what time the boat was going to leave and that he would find me when the time came. While waiting I made friends with a nice elderly Peruvian man who helped me practice my Spanish and told me about the Palomino Islands. When it was time for the tour to actually start we boarded a smaller boat and tendered out to the boat we would be using for the tour. Only one of the staff members spoke English and I don't necessarily expect others to know English in a Spanish speaking country but I specifically chose this tour because it was advertised as being conducted in English. I was one of two people on the tour who did not speak Spanish, the other person had a friend to translate for them and as I was a solo traveler I did not have that benefit. Most of the tour was conducted in Spanish with the one english speaking guide ( who was lovely and dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow ) occasionally pausing his presentation to provide some English narration. I heard my name a few times while he was addressing the rest of the guests and everyone laughed. I know this was all in good fun but it gave me a new appreciation for monolingual people in the U.S. While I believe the humor was good natured I can't be absolutely certain and it was a very wild and isolating experience. There were no snacks and drinks provided on board as the description advertised which was fine, I wasn't really hungry or thirsty. They only had standard size life jackets and wetsuits so if you are like me and exceed the standard size I suggest bringing your own as it was a little uncomfortable. The experience with the sea lions was incredible. It smelled really bad but they got really close and it was absolutely delightful. Be careful jumping into the water, I nearly lost the phone I wore around my neck when I did.

The tour was great fun! There was initial disappointment because an email from the company advised us that, due to mechanical failures on the yacht, we would be traveling by speedboat instead. I don’t know what the yacht experience would have been like so I’m only guessing that it was probably more spacious and perhaps offered a few more conveniences. Our group, however, was just great. The other travelers were fun and we had a great time visiting the islands. Of course, swimming with the sea lions was a highlight. I’m so glad I did not miss out on this experience. Our tour guide, Rodrigo, did a great job and made sure we were always informed and comfortable.

What a great experience! It’s definitely worth going! The tour guide was so helpful to make sure you make the most out of your experience!

Amazing! Thousands of sea lions! Swam WITH them, not near them! Long boat ride, but worth it. Friendly staff and friendly sea lions.

After booking the tour, the registration for the trip was not well organized. We were 1 hour late Leaving the dock for an other 2 hour boat ride to Palomino island. The Boat moored quite a distance from the sea lions. So it was a bit of a swim to get NEAR them. We did not swim WITH them. It was amazing to see such a large gathering of sea lions in one Place

This was a really great tour and unique experience and the whole crew was really good. We had an excellent and super knowledgeable guide and everyone else from the water guide to the photographer to the boat captain were super friendly and professional. My only complaint is actually with Viator. You can get this exact same tour with the exact same operator (Vista Adventures) for at least $50 less on other tour sites like GetYourGuide whereas Viator marked it up to $125. I’m feeling a bit of regret for not doing some additional research before I booked, but this also feels a little bit sketchy on Viator’s part. So in summary - do this amazing tour, but book it with somebody else besides Viator (or book through the provider directly, which is better for them) because Viator charges an insane markup. Don’t make the same mistake as me!

This was one of the neatest experiences of my life. The sea lions were curious and friendly and got pretty close. Our guide was knowledgeable and told us stories about the nearby islands as we drove past them. The ride out to Palamino Island took about 2 hours and the ocean was rough. They did provide anti nausea medication at the beginning of the trip though. The employee that went in the water with us, was great too. He did such a great job of helping the weak swimmers and keeping us all safe.