Palomino Islands: Two islands. The first one has a wide variety of animal life with the most representative being the South American sea lion. Some of these specimens weigh 300 kilograms. The second island works as a shelter for the old and sick sea lions; that is why it is known as “The Hospital”.
Cavinzas Island: It is a sanctuary for many guano birds such as pelicans, guanay cormorants, red-legged cormorant, Peruvian boobies, and patillos.
San Lorenzo Island: The largest and tallest island off the coast of Peru. It is 8 kilometers / 5 miles long and 2,2 kilometers / 1,3 miles wide. In ancient times, it was considered a feminine divinity by the natives of the zone who called it Shina and identified it with beauty and fertility due to the great amount of fish and seafood found off its coast. Because of that, it fulfilled the important economic function of maintaining the early populations that settled in Callao.
The archaeologist, Max Uhle, found a temple on the southern side of the island used for moon worship and a cemetery with over three thousand tombs containing utensils, knitted articles, and objects of gold and silver.
It is also known as the “Mysterious Island” because of the fascinating tales about pirates, hidden treasures, and historic remains that are spun about it. The bodies of the Dutch pirate, Jacobo L´Hemite, and those of other nineteenth century characters lie there. Eight cemeteries, where the corpses of Chilean soldiers who died during the War of the Pacific (Peru-Chile, 1879) lie, are also to be found there.
El Fronton Island: Also called “Island of the Dead” since it was a political prison during the Colonial and early Republican times. Among the prisoners there was Viceroy Blasco Nuñez de Vela, deposed in 1544. Later, it became a penitentiary for common criminals.
It is possible to visit these islands from boats that depart from the piers of La Punta and Callao.
Visiting Hours: Mon. – Sun. 9:00 A.M. – 10 A.M.: upon reservation. 4 people minimum. Trip Duration: 4 hours. (Thanks to PromPeru for this information)
