Español
English
RSS Feed: News
Nazca Lines
Lineas de Nazca
Lineas de Nazca
ICA
Ica is known as an area of sand, sea, oases and valleys, the cradle of Peru's Creole culture, saints and medicine men, where the best pisco brandy is distilled and where religious fervor is strong in the worship of the Señor de Luren or the Yauca shrine. The sandy wastes of this area gave rise to major pre-Colombian civilizations, leaving traces that have survived the ravages of time and wind erosion.
Founded in 1563 by Luis Jerónimo de Cabrera, the city of Ica, capital of the department of Ica, still features superb colonial constructions such as the Cathedral and centuries-old mansions.
The road to Ica provides the traveler with a variety of attractions. First stop along the way is Chincha, a balmy valley that combines festivals and tradition and which is the heart of a culture forged by the descendants of African slaves brought to work the cotton plantations. A few kilometers further on lies the Paracas National Reserve, the only protected area in Peru that includes a marine eco-system. From the pier at Paracas one can take boatrides out to the Ballestas islands, where one can spot sea lions, Humboldt penguins, flamingos and sea birds.
South of the city of Ica lies the Huacachina Oasis, and a few kilometers ahead, the Nazca Lines, an extraordinary legacy bequeathed by the ancient people of the Nazca culture. The Lines, an enormous network of lines and drawings of plants and animals that cover an area of some 350 square km, provide an unforgettable experience for those who fly over them.
Ica celebrates three major events: the Wine Festival (Ica is home to many vineyards which produce excellent wines and pisco) and the festivals of the Señor de Luren and the Virgen del Carmen of Chincha. This is a good time to try typical Ica dishes and sweets, as well as to visit the town of Cachiche, famous for its folk healers who are said to be able to cure all kinds of ills.
ICA’S HIGHLANDS
THE NAZCA LINES
Just two hours from Ica, 50 square km of desert floor were covered centuries ago by vast drawings, figures of mammals, insects and deities. The Nazca Lines, discovered in 1927, are the most extraordinary legacy left by a culture that flourished in 300 BC. The lines are a series of complex designs, some up to 300 meters long which can only be seen in their true dimension from the sky, from an altitude of at least 1,500 feet. The Nazca culture is not believed to have been capable of manned flight. But the question remains as to how they crafted the drawings, what technology they used and what purpose the lines served.
Theories abound regarding these mysterious etchings, ranging from landing strips for aliens to a giant seismograph. The most probable theory is that of María Reiche, a German researcher who dedicated her life to studying the lines. Ms Reiche believed that the lines were part of a vast astronomic calendar whose figures marked different solar phases. Ms Reiche, affectionately nicknamed the Angel of the Plains by the local inhabitants, was the first to discover the ancient technique of digging into the tough and dry desert floor and covering the track with stones brought from distant sites. The component of natural plaster existing in the area helped to preserve for thousands of years the drawings: the hummingbird, the spider, the condor and the monkey, among the more than 30 figures etched into the plain.
The Nazca Plains (there are four areas in total: Palpa, Ingenio, Nazca and Socos) lie in the department of Ica, some 460 km south of Lima. Like an embroidery of the gods, the lines that decorate the desert floor have been declared a Mankind Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the ancient mystery of the figures still waits to be unraveled.
PARACAS NATIONAL RESERVE
Wedged in the middle of the coastal desert in the department of Ica, covering an area of 335 000 hectares, Paracas is the only national reserve that protects part of the Peruvian sea which is chilled by the cold Humboldt current. This unique area is home to some of the world's richest fishing grounds, which has been made possible by marine upswells which bring to the surface vast masses of plankton, a vital food supply for hundreds of fish species.
Paracas is also home to guano-producing bird species and large colonies of sea lions, and is a haven for dozens of visiting migratory bird species and endangered species such as the marine wildcat or chingungo, the Humboldt penguin and pink flamingoes. The area also saw the rise of the Paracas culture, a major pre-Colombian civilization who left a legacy of superb textiles and items of pottery whose quality continues to astound visitors.
Tours in Nazca Lines
-
Lima - Paracas - Nasca - Lima 3 Days - 2 Nights (US$ 235.00)
Includes: Lima, Nazca Lines, Paracas, -
Lima - Paracas - Nasca 4 Days - 3 Nights (US$ 345.00)
Includes: Ballestas Islands, Ica, Lima, Nazca Lines, Paracas, Pisco, -
Nazca Lines with Andes Experience 9 Days - 8 Nights (US$ 1,240.00)
Includes: Ballestas Islands, Cusco, Lima, Machupicchu, Nazca Lines, Paracas, -
Short South Peru 5 Days - 4 Nights (PER-004) (US$ 600.00)
Includes: Ballestas Islands, Lima, Nazca Lines, Pachácamac, Paracas, -
Southern Peru - Bolivia 14 Days - 13 Nights (PER-008) (US$ 1,860.00)
Includes: Arequipa, Colca Canyon, Cusco, Lima, Machupicchu, Nazca Lines, Puno, Sacred Valley, Santa Catalina Convent,
