By road, Churin and Paracas are about 278 miles (447 km) apart, or roughly 6 h 32 min of driving.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to safety concerns, U.S. embassy personnel are prohibited from traveling on mountainous roads at night.”
| Total distance | 278 mi (447 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 6 h 32 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-18 → LM-667 → PE-20C → PE-1N → PE-1S → PE-28 |
| Regions on the route | Lima, Lima Province, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 11.1 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
What the drive from Churin to Paracas is like
PE-1S (144 mi) and PE-18 (61 mi) carry about 74% of the 278 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Lima, Lima Province, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Churin to Paracas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE-18 | 0–61 | 61 | Lima |
| LM-667 | 61–73 | 12 | Lima |
| PE-20C | 73–81 | 8 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 81–124 | 43 | Lima, Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 124–268 | 144 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| connecting roads | 268–270 | 2 | Ica |
| PE-28 | 270–277 | 7 | Ica |
| local roads | 277–278 | 1 | Ica |
- Mile 87 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 157 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 232 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
Where to stop on the way to Paracas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): National Museum of Peru (mile 140), La Centinela (mile 242)
- Nature and outdoors: Lachay National Reserve (mile 60)
- Museums and history: Huaca San Marcos (mile 116), Mateo Salado (mile 117), Huaca Canto Chico (mile 121), Huaca El Sauce (mile 121), Andrés Avelino Cáceres Museum (mile 129), Museum of Contemporary Art of Lima (mile 130), National Museum of Peru (mile 140), La Centinela (mile 242)
Lachay National Reserve
Around 105 km north of Lima, in Peru's Lima region, Lachay National Reserve protects part of the lomas ecosystem.
Huaca San Marcos
Inside San Marcos University's main campus in Lima, this archaeological monument (Huaca San Marcos) is part of the Maranga architectural complex.
Mateo Salado
Five stepped, truncated pyramids make up the Mateo Salado archaeological complex, in Lima where the city's central district meets Breña and Pueblo Libre.
Huaca Canto Chico
Covering about 10,000 square meters, Huaca Canto Chico is an archaeological site in the San Juan de Lurigancho district of Lima.
Huaca El Sauce
Huaca El Sauce, also known as Campo Santo Alto, is a pre-Hispanic archaeological complex in Lima's San Juan de Lurigancho district, where the remains of a young woman from Inca times were found.
Andrés Avelino Cáceres Museum
Housed in a former train station in Parque Reducto No. 2 in Miraflores, Lima, this war museum honors Marshal Andrés Avelino Cáceres, who took part in defending the redoubt during the War of the Pacific.
Museum of Contemporary Art of Lima
In Lima's Barranco District, the Museum of Contemporary Art was designed by Peruvian architect Frederick Cooper Llosa on land donated by the Municipality of Barranco.
National Museum of Peru
Opened in July 2021 within the Pachacamac archaeological zone in Lurín, the National Museum of Peru is planned to hold pre-Columbian and Inca artifacts dating back to 5,000 BCE.
La Centinela
Between Chincha Baja and Tambo de Mora, La Centinela was the main late settlement of the Chincha lordship and later became the seat of Inca administration in the valley.
Once you reach Paracas
Paracas Candelabra
Carved into the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula on Pisco Bay, the Paracas Candelabra is a prehistoric geoglyph; nearby pottery dates to about 200 BCE.
Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello
Inside the Paracas National Reserve, the Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello opened in 1964 and is named for the archaeologist who studied the Paracas culture.
More drives to Paracas
- Lima to Paracas
- Huaral to Paracas
- Huancayo to Paracas
- Huancavelica to Paracas
- Jauja to Paracas
- Barranca to Paracas
From Churin to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Churin to Paracas?
About 6 h 32 min of driving without stops, over 278 miles.
What is the driving distance from Churin to Paracas?
About 278 miles (447 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Churin to Paracas drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Churin to Paracas?
In order: PE-18, LM-667, PE-20C, PE-1N, PE-1S and PE-28. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Churin and Paracas?
Closest to the road: Huaca El Sauce (archaeological site, mile 121, 2 mi from the route); National Museum of Peru (museum, mile 140, 0.6 mi from the route); La Centinela (archaeological site, mile 242, 0.6 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.