Lima: Palomino Islands Excursion & Swimming With Sea Lions With Hotel Transfers

This is such a fun experience! I never thought I'd enjoy swimming with sea lions. I felt really safe from the transfers to the speedboat and the experience itself. The Palomino Islands are really breath taking! Appreciate the free snacks and drinks!

I wish the guide had told us more about the habits and life of the Sea Lions. I was expecting him too, and on this front he really didn’t deliver. They are amazing creatures to swim with, and it wasn’t too cold, so that part of the experience was good.

Guides wonderful and filled with wildlife knowledge. Water comfortable with included wetsuit. Sea lions numerous, curious and friendly. Great experience.

Such a unique experience! We saw lots of birds, penguins and of course, sea lions. Alex was a great guide!

This tour was a lot of fun, getting to see and swim near sea lions! We have Sebastian and Segundo as our guides and they were fantastic! The penguins weren’t out but we did see one on top of the rocks posing for us. Nobody warns you for the smell of the sea lions though! It is putrid! Really really bad, so if you get sea sick this smell will not help. It is like one big sewage backup! I recommend the tour but be warned of the smell

It was nice. But according to my travel i would gotten the same experience with the cheaper option. And better snacks A 2 soles warm juice and potatoes chip not what i spected for snaks

A good morning activity for a day in Lima! While no sea lions swam right next to me, they were close to us in the water. I highly recommend this experience!

We had friends who went to Ballestas Islands and saw a few penguins but we saw lots and sea lions. There were babies so all the sea lions didn’t want jump in but there were plenty enough.

AMAZING, must do! Extremely safe, water if cold but do-able. We did not wear a wet suit and acclimated in 30 seconds. Sea lions are mere inches away form you. Top 10 experiences of my life. Saw penguins, dolphins, variety of spices of birds, and a mountain full of sea lions! You won’t regret it, book it. Shout out to our guide Alex, 10/10!

Company did not communicate whether our hotel, which was within their neighborhood boundary, would be eligible for pickup. They refunded us 10 minutes after our scheduled pickup. Company also did not pick up phone line via WhatsApp or answer chat messages about what was going on. Despite the refund, the lack of communication is unacceptable.

This was a great experience. The pickup and drop off was great. We arrived at least 45 minutes before the excursion, unfortunately no details of when we would head to the boat was provided. We saw lots of birds and different kinds, including penguins. The views around the islands are amazing. The water was quite cold, but the wet suits helped. The guide joined us in the water and assisted anyone not as comfortable in the water. The sea lions came close but was never threatening, even with the alpha male in the water. It is a speedboat, but it never moved fast, and there is no shade available.

This was a great excursion! I appreciated the pick up and drop off at my hotel, which made the logistics easy. I had read reviews that you wait around for awhile before heading out. I was dropped off about 45 minutes before we headed for the boat. I brought something to read, so I didn't mind the wait. Once on the boat, the guide gave us great information about the area. They were all about safety and did a wonderful job to make sure we had a great experience! If you're interested in getting an up close experience with wildlife, I'd highly recommend this excursion!

Nice day in the Ocean with lots of sea birds, penguins and Sea Lions

Such a great morning! Private transfer from my hotel in Miraflores to the port to meet the boat. Our guide was knowledgeable and funny and even jumped in and swam with the sea lions with us.

This was hands down my favorite activity done in Lima. There were so much interesting facts about the islands and birds, that you may not get elsewhere. The water is COLD, but after a while, your body adapts. Solo traveler friendly and our tour guide Julio was amazing. There were many people on our boat and I felt safe in the water. FYI, you might smell a little fishy after, but a proper shower or 2 should help. Also, this makes for a good 2 truths, one lie game lol. I’d book this trip again!

Very friendly guides, competent, spoke English. Felt comfortable - even in very cold water! - thought they were all great. Highly recommend this experience!

Loved it! Just as described. Water is cold, and there is an odor at the island, but it is worth the experience.

Great boat ride past the old prison and a bird sanctuary. Swimming with the sea lions was such a fun and memorable experience! The juveniles were as curious about us as we were about them. The water was cold, but I quickly adapted and forgot about the temperature as the sea lions came over to check me out.

Beautiful Ride out to the islands saw penguins and sea birds, dolphins and also lots of sea lions. I chose not to swim but just enjoy the ride and scenery.

It is an open air boat, so wear a hat and bring sunscreen. The snack was a juice box and small bag of chips. I would recommend they only allow children over 15. We had young kids that screamed and squealed, which is understandable, however, every time they did, the seals turned away from us. The kids were told to be quiet, but they were too young to control themselves. The seals got no closer than about 15 feet (5m).

Entire trip there was no communication or understanding of what was going on. Dropped off over an hour before tour started and driver was not there when your was over. Your operators were photographing females in group with cell phones and refused to delete pictures when confronted. Worst tour ever

Victor picked us up at the Westin Hotel and brought us to the dock. He was so nice and told us all about Lima on the way. When we arrived, we did have to wait for a while given there is paperwork and people are arriving at slightly different times but I read about that in advance so it was fine. I had to use the restroom before we left and was taken to a very good bathroom by a super nice employee. I sadly can’t recall the names of our boat crew but they were all excellent! The head guide was amazingly good at everything he did! He explained things twice, once in Spanish and once in English, to accommodate everyone which was great. His knowledge of the islands and wildlife was great (he also had some funny jokes that were associated with what he was saying and what we were seeing). He got everyone in and out of the water with ease. Safety was always the top priority with the entire crew. The snack was yummy and came at a good time. The highlight of the tour was of course the wildlife which more than delivered! It really was unbelievable to see and experience it all so close. When we arrived back to the dock, Victor was waiting for us to bring us back to the hotel. He again answered all of our questions and told us more about Lima, pointing out things we would have missed otherwise. Thanks to everyone!! We went on the first 10:30 boat, the Pinguino I, on February 23, 2025.

Water is cold but well worth it. Also got to see Penguins and lots of other birds- guides knowledgeable

The tour company changed the departure time the morning of our excursion. The driver who picked us up from our accommodation was very polite and professional and on time. This tour had the potential to be amazing. The views were awesome. The wildlife was everywhere. Reason for my low rating was the disorganization on board. We were directed to change into wetsuits in a very small crowded area in choppy waters. Everyone was crashing into one another and the staff were not very helpful with their direction. The wetsuits were old and tattered smelly and wet. It seemed as though there were too many guests on board for everyone to be comfortable. Being in the water was chaotic. Very choppy waters and very little direction from staff of where and what to do. It was advertised that there were beverages and snacks on board. Nothing was offered to me or my family. It was advertised that pictures were available for purchase. Nothing was provided to us to view or purchase. I have been on tours all over the world (Egypt, Jordan, Thailand, Mexico, Dominican, Israel) and this was the most disorganized and disappointing tour I have ever been on.

I would have given this excursion a 5 star rating..but Julio said he would send pictures of us swimming; to date he has not.. this drops his rating!! But our driver was awesome!!

With many Peru tours requiring 4-8 hours of driving it was great to have a 1/2 day experience very close to Lima. We saw penguins! Swimming with the Sealions was really amazing. They are so curious.

The pickup service was great, on time in a good car and good driver. Diego, our guide, is very expert and taught us a lot of information about peruvian history, island information and about the animals that live there. Swimming with sea lions was amazing! Diego was super well prepared and gave all the support, it was an amazing experience. As an advice, I suggest the company to offer some photo or video services to capture these moments, I'd sure acquire to remember that :)

great captain and crew. bring a surf top and yoga leggings the water is cold! loved seeing penquins and learning history of island

Loved swimming with the sea lions in thier natural habitat. Was able to get.close the the sea lions and got some great pics. Highly recommended

Wonderful scenic boat ride with excellent guide. Amazing swimming experience with the seals (even in the chilly water.

Great experience. Unique place with thousands os sea lions and swimming with them was unforgettable experience. Tour was well run and guide Alex was great.

What an absolute blast of a day! Proper bucketlist experience. A nice boat ride out to the island where you'll be met by thousands of curious, playful and kind sea lions. I had so much fun! Got great videos with my GoPro and memories for life. This is a must do when in Lima.

Totally amazing. Cannot believe how many sea lions and how they rapidly approached the boat when we arrived. Such fun to hear them barking and performing aquatic acrobatics. Water is cold. We also saw Humboldt penguins which was a great in itself. One caution. It's a small boat and if you are prone to sea sickness this might not be the best option.

This was an absolutely incredible experience. We got to see penguins, so many other birds, and of course sea lions! The water was freezing but completely worth it. I've visited 29 countries and this was in the top 5 experiences I've ever had! Sea lions are so curious and cute. Don't hesitate to book.

This experience was amazing. I do recommend take this tour. I had really good time and I expected that water will be very cold but was everything was perfect.

In peruvian summer, it might be a nice excursion, in winter I would not recommend it: too cloudy, grey & cold. I did not go in the water as I have seen the animals closer and swum with them during other excursions in South America with less people, warmer ocean, in more peace, with more time and in a much nicer environment. If it is your first opportunity to see sea lions in nature - go for the trip as you will love it; but if you have seen them before up close, I think the trip is by far overrated and overpriced. The quality of staff and boat is very good though. Once we arrived for the checkin at the restaurant and before departure, it would have been nice to know when we depart exactly, so I could have walked around the port instead of waiting 40 min. inside and doing nothing. Thats the only advice I would give for improvements to the team. Unlike many comments, the boat was very smooth and faced almost no waves; rather a disappointment as I was hoping for some more action out there 😅 (but this surely depends on the weather and day).

Words cannot describe what an amazing experience this was. Incredibly thoughtful team, perfect organization, beautiful boat. We saw penguins, swam with sea lions and even spotted a humpback whale. Lifechanging experience

Excellent experience. Highly recommend. Hundred of sea lions rush to you when jump into water. They are excited and curiously. Must stretch out your hands and feet, they will kiss your back of hand and toes. Water is really cold and rough, but wet suit is short sleeve, wonder why it is not a long sleeve? Tour guide is good. He help to took photo for us, even dive into water to take sea lion's somersault photo.

It was so neat to see penguins and sea lions in real life what a great experience swimming with them

They never picked us up or answered messages/phone calls. We tried all forms of communication but they never responded. We waited for over an hour at the arranged meeting place.

Amazing excursion! I could not believe how close the sea lions got to us. One of them kissed my feet. Rodrigo was an awesome guide and was super knowledgeable. Vista Adventures was awesome, answering messages very quickly. Highly recommended!

Loved swimming with the seals and probably the top 10 things I’ve done in my life! Unbelievable experience. We booked the tour 6pm the night before. We were picked up at 9am the following morning! We had the best day. Just remember to take your waterproof go pro or a waterproof phone cover. You won’t regret doing this tour. It’s an experience we will remember forever! Highly recommend.

Tour cancelled, no notice, or reason given. Received email stating tour was cancelled with no reason given. 12345678910

This was so much fun! The water was pretty choppy that day. I felt a bit like I was on North Sea TikTok but we got there safely. It is a bit of a swim out to the sea lions and, as I mentioned, the water was choppy. I eventually got out there though! There were probably over 100 sea lions! A couple of them got close enough to touch me! Word of warning though, you will STINK afterwards!!! Immediate shower required, but worth it!!

swimming near the sea lions is an extraordinary experience! Captain & crew were very helpful. Boat was comfortable.

This tour was the highlight of my entire trip, and probably even one of the best I'd ever been on. Swimming with the sea lions was such an incredible experience and not one that I'll forget anytime soon. The water was freezing, but it didn't even matter. I wish I'd have brought my go pro instead of my phone... make sure you bring a waterproof case so you can get in the water and take photos.

Experience itself, the tour and the swimming parts were great! Also the crew (Rodrigo and Diego) was nice and had a good sense of humour. Have to take couple stars away since the pickup was late almost an hour and communication related to the issue was not so good. Another issue was the not so good preparation for sea sickness issues, a couple of people vomited on the floor that could have been avoided with buckets handed to people signaling they're not feeling well.. Also the boat should have a roof on these conditions that include very strong sunlight straight from above.

Amazing! Such a fun experience. The sea lions were a little shy the day we went out but we saw many other animals.

When you initially jump in, the chill of the water overwhelms your senses only to be instantly dissipated, as your adrenaline rushes whilst you swing about surrounded by these curious, lovely and playful animals, after 20 minutes, you are not even feeling cold! A breath taking, memorable experience. The guide and boat driver were excellent, patient, even assisting those that were "not swimmers", (btw everyone turned into a swimmer with the life vests we were wearing). Fully recommend it! What a thrill!