Sea lions and the Palomino Islands from Lima

Paracas is roughly three to three and a half hours from Lima by road, Huacachina about four. Day tours that combine both state 17.5 to 18 hours in their listings: you leave early and come back late, and most of the day is spent on the road. It works as a day trip, but if you want time in the dunes or on the Ballestas boat without rushing, an overnight stay in Paracas or Ica is the honest alternative.

You can, but the Pacific here is cold. Sources put the water at around 16 °C in winter and up to about 22 °C in summer, which is why Lima is better known for surfing and sunsets than for long swims. Surf lessons run from Playa Makaha in Miraflores, and in the cooler months a wetsuit is part of the lesson. For swimming in clear warm water you would have to travel far from Lima.

Roughly December to April is the sunny summer, with the warmest sea. From about May to November the coast sits under low cloud and a fine mist called garúa; days are mild rather than cold, but grey. Sources disagree on the exact months, so treat these as approximate. Food tours, museums and the catacombs do not care about the weather; paragliding and boat trips do.

From the port area of Callao, not from Miraflores. The Palomino Islands lie some 14 to 18 kilometres offshore, and the listings state 3.5 to 6.5 hours in total. Boats need an operator authorised by the park authority; on the water a life jacket is compulsory and you may not touch or feed the animals. Check the meeting point on the offer – some include hotel pick-up, some do not.

Not as a Lima day trip. There is no direct flight, train or bus to Machu Picchu: you fly to Cusco first, a flight of roughly an hour and a half, and go on from there. We left the Cusco-based offers out of this page on purpose, because they start in Cusco and not in Lima.

Jorge Chávez airport is about 22 kilometres from Miraflores and San Isidro. Recent guides give roughly 35 to 60 minutes to the historic centre and 45 to 70 minutes to Miraflores, depending on traffic; the low end is the best case. Plan on an hour at rush hour, and book a transfer in advance if your flight lands late.