La Catedral

South Coast


This local landmark just south of Playa Yumaque was once a majestic natural arch that jutted out into the sea but was destroyed by the 2007 earthquake. Formed over hundreds of thousands of years by wind and wave erosion, it got toppled in less than a minute. Today it is little more than a sea stack but the panoramas are still impressive and the sunsets here are first class.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby South Coast attractions

1. Playa Yumaque

1.67 MILES

The reserve protrudes south a fair few kilometers below the Paracas Peninsula. Dirt roads branch off just east of Lagunillas to Yumaque Beach where there…

2. Playa La Mina

2.31 MILES

This beach is a short drive or walk south of Lagunillas on a dirt road and has gentle waters that make it the best swimming area in the reserve…

3. Lagunillas

2.87 MILES

Turkey vultures feast on the washed-up remains of yesterday’s marine carcasses on the lonely beach at Lagunillas, 5km south of the visitor centre, where a…

4. Playa Roja

2.99 MILES

This narrow bay southwest of the visitor center features a peculiar reddish sand that contrasts dramatically with the low yellowish cliffs behind and the…

5. Punta Arquillo

4.47 MILES

Just before the Lagunillas turnoff, a spur road branches off the main La Mina road and heads to the southwest for a few kilometers to a parking area near…

6. Museo Julio C Tello

4.62 MILES

Right next to the park visitor center, in front of the Paracas Necropolis burial grounds on Cerro Colorado, this recently expanded museum features…

7. Centro de Interpretación

4.65 MILES

Located 1.5km south of the entry point to Reserva Nacional de Paracas, this visitor center seems to be aimed for the most part at school groups rather…

8. Paracas Necropolis

5.31 MILES

A few hundred meters behind the visitor complex on Cerro Colorado are the 5000-year-old remains of a necropolis related to the Paracas culture, which…

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      "country": "Peru",
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