Villa Marsh & Pucusana 1 Day

LIMA- PERU With over eight million inhabitants Lima, the capital of Peru is the second largest desert city in the world after Cairo. It is a city of contrasts. Lima is surrounded by shantytowns where poverty is rampant, yet many of its suburbs are rich and prosperous, its business district boasts skyscrapers and its shopping malls are ultramodern. Lima is located on a desert strip that runs from the north to the south of Peru on the banks of the Rimac River overlooking the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. Lima is the richest city in Peru; it is where the government is located and is the financial, cultural and educational center of the country.

Lima, named City of the Kings or Ciudad de los Reyes by Francisco Pizarro, was founded on January 18th, 1535 as the capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It was chosen because of its ideal location on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, benefiting from its closeness to the natural port of Callao which facilitated trade with Spain. After the independence in 1821, it became the capital of the Republic of Peru.

THE PACIFIC OCEAN The cold water of the Pacific Ocean brought by the Humboldt Current makes its water rich in plankton which supports a rich variety of fish and marine animals as well as birds who feed on the fish. Fish and its byproducts are an important source of economic activity along the coast and an important part of food resource for the local population. Thanks to the Humboldt Current, also known as the Peruvian Current the waters adjacent to the Peruvian coast is one the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. This 200 nautical mile area is a coastal upwelling which is characterized for its deep and cool waters where phytoplankton thrives. Phytoplankton is at the bottom of the food chain and serves as nourishment for zooplankton and small fish including the anchovy better known as anchoveta which in turn feeds predatory fish, mammals and guano producing birds. This system provides an abundance of food that leads to one of the most biodivers areas on earth.

Peru’s Pacific rich oceanic waters feed huge colonies of seabirds, and a visit to Pucusana provides the opportunity to see the incredible mass of birds that breed on the offshore cliffs and island. The coastal wetlands in Pantanos de Villa (Villa Marshes) concentrate huge numbers of breeding and migratory water birds.

This tour meets and departs from Lima – Peru: Most international flights to Lima’s Jorgé Chavez International Airport arrive late in the evening. Please, be sure our office knows your arrival plans. At the Lima airport, you will get your passport stamped at immigration, claim your luggage, and proceed through customs. Then you can exit the baggage claim are where Birds of Peru Tours representative will waiting holding a sign with your name.