Palomino Islands (Lima, Peru): Swim with Sea Lions in the Pacific Ocean

If you’re in Lima, the capital of Peru, and you have time for just one half-day of activity, then this boat trip is for you. 

The Palomino Islands are located just West of Lima, Peru, in the Pacific Ocean. They are home to a huge colony of sea lions. 

Unlike their cousin, the seal, these sea lions are playful creatures of the ocean, often called the doggies of the water. During this trip from Lima, you can admire Lima from the boat, learn more about these fascinating islands, and then jump in the water to swim with sea lions. 

This boat tour was just one of the many experiences I enjoyed in Lima, the capital of Peru. For those considering this trip, check out my tips about travelling to Lima for the first time.

I hope you enjoy this trip and that it inspires you to explore more of Lima, and Peru.

Many tourists book the 18-hour long day trip from Lima to Huacachina, but some miss out on this half-a-day trip, which doesn’t require you to go outside Lima. If you’re short on time and ready for a unique experience in Peru, then this is it.

How do you visit the Palomino Islands in Peru?

The only way to visit the Palomino Islands in Lima, Peru, is with a tour agency. 

I booked my trip with Ecocruceros, via the GetYourGuide portal.

The platform easily shows all the details in English, and the tour guide speaks English, which isn’t that common in Peru.

This is one of the main attractions in Lima, so the entire activity is well-organized, and the tour agency takes care of everything. 

The best part is that they seem to organize this trip every day, but you need to book it online at least one day in advance. 

How do you get to the boat for the Palomino Islands?

The boat tour to visit the Palomino Islands in the Pacific Ocean starts in Callao district of Lima. But don’t worry, it is very easy to get there by Taxi or Uber. 

I was staying in Miraflores, and it only took about 30 minutes to get to the exact spot on the pier by Uber. 

Ubers are working great in Lima, you don’t need to worry or hassle with the drivers. You can pay with the card in the app and then the drivers are really nice and professional. I gneeraly found that locals all over Peru are very friendly and always ready to help. 

You will get all the details, including the exact location on Google Maps of where you should go in La Punta, in Callao, after you book the tour for the Palomino Islands. 

How long does the Palomino Island boat tour last?

The Palomino Islands tour, which allows you to swim with sea lions, lasts about 4.5 hours. This doesn’t count for the taxi transfers to the pier and back to your hotel.

Also, you will need to get to the pier at least 30 minutes earlier so that the guide has time to register everyone on the tour and explain a few things. 

The tour felt really well-organized; it didn’t feel rushed, and we spent plenty of time around the sea lions. 

What do you need to bring with you for the Palomino Islands boat trip?

This is a boat tour, so you will be spending about 4.5 hours on a boat. The agency lists a few things to bring with you on the tour, such as sunscreen, a sun cap, sunglasses, a swimming suit, a towel, and water. 

Because you will be swimming in the Pacific Ocean, the water temperature varies from 7 to 19 degrees Celsius, depending on the time of year. The agency provides wetsuits. 

But on my trip, they didn’t have enough wetsuits for everyone, so there were a few men left without. They went swimming without a wetsuit, but it wasn’t fair because they claimed at the beginning that everyone would receive a wetsuit. 

At least, they give wetsuits to women and children first. 

Seasick medication

The boat personnel also provides tourists with sea sickness medication as soon as everyone is on the boat and they start moving. 

I don’t usually get seasick, and I have been on many boats and ferries before, so I decided not to take the medication.

My boyfriend also has a lot of experience boat riding, and he also skipped the medication. But after an hour or so, he started to feel sick. 

It’s important to note that we were sitting right in front of the boat, with a clear view of the water and feeling every wave coming our way. 

As the boat starts moving away from the port, the waters are calm. But small waves will form once they ride past the small archipelago that keeps the ocean waves away. That would be half of the trip away from the Palomino Islands, where the sea lions are located. For half of the trip, the waves are a bit bigger, and the boat is constantly rocking with them. 

On my trip, we were blessed with great weather, and the ocean was extremely calm. However, out in the open, there will always be some sort of waves. 

I didn’t keep a count of all the people who took the pill that day and the people who skipped it, but out of a group of 20 people, around three got sick. 

An hour after getting seasick, my boyfriend was lying inside the boat, feeling like he couldn’t get up. And that’s when he finally accepted the medication. 

While we also witnessed everything around us, he didn’t feel any better until we got back to the pier. 

I, on the other hand, didn’t have the medication and didn’t get sick. 

It’s probably a matter of each individual, and it may depend on a lot of things, like your location on the boat, if you had a good sleep the night before or if you had a large breakfast (which you definitely shouldn’t). 

I can’t decide for anyone else if taking the medication is needed or not, so you will have to assess the situation for yourself. 

As for me, on that day, I was afraid that the medication would make me feel a bit sleepy (as it had in the past on previous trips) and I really wanted to record this experience for my YouTube channel. 

But looking back, it wasa probably a gamble, and I could have also gotten a bit sea sick. 

My tip, for those not taking the medication, is to try to not move your head too much or do any rapid movement of the head. The best advice is to try to look at one point over the horison and then slowly move your head when changing focus. 

All in all, the trip was great, so it would truly be a pity to get sick and not get to enjoy this experience in Palomino Islands in Lima to the maximum. 

The boat goes around El Frontón island in Lima

El Frontón is an island off the coast of Lima, Peru, known primarily for its history as a prison. The most significant event associated with El Frontón occurred on June 18, 1986, during the administration of President Alan García. This event is known as the El Frontón massacre.

Our guide explained everything and then we asked him additional questions. It’s a dark topic for Peruvians, but the tour guide didn’t why away from explain this part of Lima’s history. 

Here’s what happened:

In 1986, inmates at El Frontón, many of whom were members of the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), a Maoist guerrilla group, staged a violent uprising within the prison. They took control of parts of the facility, protesting the conditions and their treatment. The Peruvian government, in response, sent in the military to regain control of the prison.

The military operation to suppress the uprising was extremely violent. After the prison was bombarded by the navy and attacked by marines, many prisoners were killed. The exact number of deaths remains disputed, but it’s estimated that around 133 inmates were killed during the assault. The event has been heavily criticized by human rights organizations, who argue that excessive force was used and that many of the deaths could be considered extrajudicial killings.

The El Frontón massacre remains a dark chapter in Peru’s history, reflecting the intense violence of the period during the internal conflict between the government and the Shining Path. The incident has been the subject of legal investigations and debates about accountability and human rights in Peru.

Is it safe to swim with the sea lions at Palomino Islands?

The guide assured us that it is safe to swim wil sea lions. He claims that sea lions are playful creatures, kinda similar to dogs. 

However, we received a short training about how to behave around the sealions, just before jumping in the water. 

The instructions we received were that once you are in the water, you shouldn’t do any sudden movements, to not touch the sealions, and to try to not make any loud noises. 

The sea lions came rather close to those swimming, often going underwater to observe them. As for the noise, the entire colony of sea lions was already making a lot of noise, so the people from the boat were shouting towards those in the water. It didn’t seem to make a difference. For instance, the photographer shouted at the guests to take pictures of them. 

Then the guide shouted at the guide to guide the people towards the sea lions. 

They call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It probably is since most tourists come from places where they can’t see sea lions living on their own, free in nature. 

Photographer of the tour

The company employs a photographer during the tour. At the start of the tour, he will introduce himself and ask each participant if he wants photos during the tour.

You can decide if you want photos or not; this is an optional service provided, and it costs extra. In March 2024, when we did this tour, the cost of the photography service was 50 soles (in March 2024).

At first, the photographer said we needed to pay cash at the end of the tour, but at the end, he also offered the option to pay with a car for a 10% surcharge, which we accepted. So we paid by card 55 soles. we received the photos via WhatsApp (WeTransfer link) the following morning.

Not all participants wanted to pay for the photos, and that was okay.

The photographer took photos of everyone who wanted at key moments of the boat ride, including when swimming with the sea lions.

Overall, the service was good, and I think it is nice that the company offers this service, as you have no other option than to get photos while in the water.

My personal take about the Palomino Islands tour and sea lion experience

You should definitely consider booking this tour to discover the Palomino Islands in Lima, Peru. 

I think that swimming with sea lions is one of the most exotic activities to do in Lima.

The organisation of the experience was really good, the tour guide was very knowledgeable, and I really enjoyed the trip. 

However, my personal decision was not to jump in the water and swim with the sea lions. 

I didn’t feel comfortable jumping in the water, and the strong smell of the sea lions didn’t make it any more pleasant. 

It might be that I have a more chill personality and I enjoyed the activity from the boat, without needing to jump in the water. I am also not the greatest swimmer, but that wouldn’t have been a problem since they also provide life-vest to anyone jumping in the water, so it’s more like you’re floating. 

To be completely honest, I have researched the activity online, and found that similar experiences are offered in other parts of the world, such as South Africa. And there were some instances where some tourists were bitten by the sea lions.

From my knowledge, this never happened in Peru, but I felt a bit that the guides were too comfortable with the entire situation and acted like nothing could ever go wrong.

Of course, before jumping on the boat at the beginning of the tour, you sign a disclaimer that basically says that if anything were to happen to you, it’s your fault. 

I don’t want to focus too much on this safety aspect, but it’s something to keep in mind when making your own personal decision about swimming with sea lions in Peru. 

All in all, the experience is worth it, regardless of whether you want to go swimming. If you have enough days to spend in Lima, consider this tour. 

If you’re looking for other day trips from Lima, then you have to book this Paracas and Huacachina Oasis day trip.

I recorded a nice vlog of the entire experience, which you can watch on my YouTube channel here.