The International Harvest Festival, which honors grapes and their many delicious derivatives, is scheduled for March 23 and 24. If you’re planning to attend, be sure to organize your time in advance to make space for this exciting event.
Paracas is already famous for its stunning, modern beach resort—a paradise nestled between a fiery desert and the endless Pacific Ocean. It boasts luxurious hotel complexes and beachside recreation just two hours from Lima, Peru’s capital.
But this year, Paracas will offer more than hotels, beach walks, boat rides, marine life, and pristine sand. For the first time ever, Paracas will host the International Harvest Festival, a move that marks a historic shift.
This festival comes on the heels of National Pisco Day, celebrated in early February. Now, both iconic Ica-region festivities will take place in this southern beach town that’s a magnet for both local and international tourists.
According to Eduardo Jáuregui, president of Capatur, the main goal of the festival is to promote the viticulture and wine production of the Ica region. Paracas, with its tourist appeal, makes the perfect stage for showcasing one of Peru’s leading agricultural exports—grapes.
Jáuregui emphasized that the event is being coordinated with business associations, the Regional Directorate of Tourism (Dircetur), local vineyards, the district municipality of Paracas, and other local authorities. Final preparations are underway to ensure an unforgettable celebration.
National and international artists will also participate, bringing music and festive spirit to this tribute to wine and tradition. It’s worth noting that Ica is one of Peru’s top grape-exporting regions.
After 59 years, this traditional celebration is being moved from the heart of Ica—where the grapes grow and the wine magic happens—to Paracas, one of the most scenic tourist destinations in the country.
Paracas is extraordinary no matter how you look at it. From boat tours to Ballestas Islands, where sea lions and flocks of seabirds thrive, to sun-drenched beaches and desert landscapes—it’s a coastal oasis. And now, it becomes the new home of a truly iconic festival.
The Paracas National Reserve even holds a mysterious wonder of its own: a massive geoglyph known as the Paracas Candelabra, etched in the sand overlooking the bay. Thought to be a guidepost or navigational tool, its origin remains a mystery, drawing comparisons to the Nazca Lines, Cusco’s ancient cities, Egypt’s pyramids, or even Stonehenge.
With so much wonder, comfort, and tourism on offer, it’s about time Paracas hosted an event of international importance. And what better way to do so than by celebrating wine, an age-old symbol of tradition, joy, and connection?
Fun Fact: The harvest tradition, or “vendimia,” dates back to Peru’s colonial era. Spanish settlers brought the first grapevines, and the sun, soil, and coastal winds of the southern valley made for perfect wine and pisco production conditions—recognized and awarded worldwide for their excellence.
Will you miss this one-of-a-kind celebration, complete with traditional grape-stomping and world-class wine, in one of Peru’s most beautiful destinations?
