The Nazca Lines in southern Peru are a group of pre-Columbian geoglyphs etched into desert sands. Covering an area of nearly 1,000 sq. kilometers, there are about 300 different figures, including animals and plants. Composed of over 10,000 lines, some of which measure 30 meters wide and stretch more than 9 kilometers, the figures are most visible from the air or nearby hilltops
Interesting places
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The museum houses 121 pieces including ceramics, fabrics and utensils from the Paracas culture that ranges from the initial periods to the year 200 AD.
History
The pieces of the museum were recovered by Frederic Engel in the 1950s. The museum was founded in 1964. Due to the earthquake that occurred in 2007, the pieces of the museum’s collection were guarded by the Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins Regional Museum of Ica.
Due to the severe damage that the museum suffered structurally, it was demolished, and then rebuilt as of 2012.
The new museum was designed by architects Sandra Barclay and Jean Pierre Crousse. On July 18, 2016 it was reopened.
Paracas National Reserve sits near Pisco city on Peru's south coast.
Paracas is a town on Peru’s west coast. It’s known for beaches, like El Chaco, set on sheltered Paracas Bay. The town is a launch point for the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, home to sea lions, pelicans and Humboldt penguins. Rugged, wildlife-rich Paracas National Reserve spans desert, ocean, islands and the Paracas Peninsula. The peninsula’s Paracas Candelabra is a huge prehistoric geoglyph, etched into a hillside.
Huacachina is a desert oasis and tiny village just west of the city of Ica in southwestern Peru. At its center are the green waters of the Huacachina Lagoon, ringed by palm trees and thought to have therapeutic properties. The lagoon’s shores are dotted with bars and clubs. Dune buggies run across the high, rolling sand dunes surrounding the village.
Pisco is a port city on Peru’s southern coast, known for the grape brandy of the same name. It’s a gateway to the uninhabited Ballestas Islands, home to scores of sea lions, pelicans, Peruvian boobies and Humboldt penguins. Nearby is the Paracas National Reserve, which encompasses desert, ocean and the Paracas Peninsula. Also here is the Paracas Candelabra geoglyph, a huge hillside etching of mysterious origins.
Elevation: 9 m
The city is located on the Ica River about 300 km (190 mi) to the south of Lima, along the desert coast of southern Peru. Further south along the Pan-American Highway lies the city of Nazca.
Tourism
Ica and surrounding areas are the traditional source of Pisco brandy. Ica is the site of the Museo Regional de Ica, a regional museum with exhibits ranging from prehistoric artifacts to the Spanish colonial era. On display are pre-Columbian funerary bundles and mummies. The elongated skulls from the Paracas and pre-Inca cultures suggest ritual deformation, perhaps to mark an elite class. Some skulls also bear evidence of trepanning, a kind of early brain surgery to relieve internal pressure or remove damaged skull matter suffered in battle.
A collection of furniture, paintings and artifacts date from the Spanish colonial era.
The Department of Ica encompasses considerable desert, giving it unique opportunities for tourism. The nearby Huacachina oasis is located in the midst of sand dunes. The city of Ica attracts international travelers, as well as resort seekers from Peru. Some young visitors try sandboarding; others travel the dunes in sand buggies.