BEACHES

The most popular beaches in Callao are those located in La Punta, but there are also some fine ones in Chucuito, Cantolao and Arenillas. Chucuito is a very welcoming corner whose population preponderantly descends from Italian immigrants.

REGATAS LA UNIÓN YATCH CLUB

This is one of the oldest nautical clubs in Peru. It was founded in the year of 1891 and is located in La Punta.

PERUVIAN YACHT CLUB

Also located in the District of La Punta, was founded in 1932.

THE ECOLOGICAL CALLAO

The Bay of El Callao is one of the most relevant and scenic of all of the Peruvian shoreline. It embraces a calm sea from where is possible to get a striking view of the inlet of the First Port, as well as of the Beaches of La Punta and the curious natural formation known as the Camotal.

A walk around the streets of La Punta allows the visitor to gaze at the nearby ships from the Peruvian War Navy, get a close sight of the islands and enjoy the unforgettable experience of sailing.

The trip by sea is usually done on a jet foil or on a yacht and it takes about 45 minutes, but if it is done aboard the "El Argonauta" of the Museo Naval, it can be covered in 30 minutes. There also exists a cheaper service performed by the Asociación de Chalaneros del Callao (a small-motorboat owner's association), that usually departs from the Darsen dock.

Another attractive alternative is to take a cruise around the islands. These are located at an hour and a half time by sea, and conform a delightful scenario arranged by the Isla El Frontón Island, also known as the Isla del Muerto or Island of the Dead Man; the Isla Cavinzas Island, a sanctuary to guano birds like pelicans, guanayes, chuitas, piqueros and patillos; the Isla Palomino Island, an abode for a large population of Sea lions; and at last the Isla San Lorenzo Island, huge and mysterious, around which grew stories and legends of pirates, hidden treasures and historical remains dating from the pre-Hispanic era.

The tour to the islands is necessarily done on a sail ship, regarding the preservation of the eco-system and to avoid disturbing the animal species with the noise of motors. It takes around four and a half hours.

SAN LORENZO ISLAND

At four kilometres distance from the District of La Punta, the Isla San Lorenzo Island appears as a barren mountain in the middle of the sea. It is actually devoid of vegetation and its animal life is mainly constituted by birds and fish.

It stands out as the largest and tallest of all on the Peruvian shoreline. It contains small beaches, caverns, ravines and abysses. All encased in an area of 17,6 square kilometres. It also owns a particularly attractive past.

In its Southern area exists an old pre-Hispanic cemetery which contains around three thousand burials.

To the North, nearby the facilities of the Naval Station, supposedly lay the mortal remains of the infamous pirate Jacob L'Hermite and his 600 Dutch crewmen, which in the year of 1624 blocked the Port of El Callao for five months with a fleet of eleven ships.

Towards the end of the 19th Century, the archaeologist Max Uhle did some research in the Island. He collected 400 pieces from the Mochica and Chimú Cultures, which are now exhibited in the Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology and History of Peru.

During the days of the Colony, it served as hide out for pirates and after that as a prison, wherein was kept the first Viceroy of Peru, Blasco Núñez de Vela.

Another illustrious visitor, Charles Darwin, disembarked in the Island in 1835, where he did some research.

During Republican times, it was used as prison for the political foes of diverse governments. In 1932, several members of the Navy rebelled against their superiors aboard the Almirante Grau and Coronel Bolognesi cruisers and were summarily executed on this Island.

The Island is a natural defence to the coastline against the Western, South-western and Southern tidal waves. This quality gets enhanced by the nearness of the Isla El Frontón Island and the Palomino islets, separated from San Lorenzo by narrow channels.

It contains three elevations or hills: San Lorenzo, Encantado and Huanay on the Western side. It presents fossilised deposits among its hillsides. Nowadays it is used as base and training camp by the Marina de Guerra del Perú.

EL FRONTÓN ISLAND

It is located beside the Island of San Lorenzo and became also known as the Isla del Muerto. It contains deposits of marine salt and layers of clay on its ground. In this island was built a famous prison that witnessed some grizzly moments from the contemporary history of Peru.

PALOMINO ISLETS

There are four of them and the largest is located behind the Isla San Lorenzo Island

To the South can be seen the Islets called La Viuda (The Widow) and Cabinzas. La Roca Horadada (The Drilled Rock) is now called "Ex-Horadada" or "Farallón", is a large rock that during the last century presented a hole that went through it from side to side, made by the erosion.

This Islet is located facing the Playa Mar Brava Brave Sea Beach. There are some organised tours that allow the willing visitor to sail around this Islet and watch the many birds and Sea lions in their natural habitat.

MARSHLANDS OF VENTANILLA

Located to the North of the Port of El Callao, this is an area that has been declared Area Ecológica Intangible - Ecological Intangible Area . Its exact location would be the Central Western zone of the District of Ventanilla, besides the Playa Costa Azul - Blue Coast Beach, the Human Settlement Defensores de la Patria - Defenders of the Fatherland and the new satellite City of Pachacútec.

It comprises an area of 366 hectares and is surrounded by low hills from the Pampa de Ventanilla Flatlands and by the Salinas and Los Perros Mountains.

Its geological origins were due to the uprising of the volcanic lava as resulting from the tectonic movement which also gave birth to the Fosa de Lima Depth, a marine abyss 5,070 metres deep located to the West of the shores of Ventanilla.

The main water source that replenishes these Marshlands is the Chillón River.

In here you will find a great variety of natural fauna and flora. Its urgent preservation possesses both a recreational and an eco-tourism potential, and deserves some responsible environmental protection actions to be taken. It contains nine natural water mirrors and three artificial ones.

It presents an open ecosystem that receives, retains and gives nutrients that come from both the sea and the continental lands. This fact allows and sustains the presence of earthen, aquatic and underwater vegetation, along with insects, reptiles, and 62 species of birds, among which can be mentioned the Grey seagull, the Franklin seagull, the Lined and the Peruvian seagulls, the White and the Blue heron, the Yellow and the Red duck, Santa Rosita birds, cockerels, cigüeñal, guardacaballo, and many others.

A tour around these Marshlands takes approximately four and a half hours.