The south has been populated as long as anywhere in Peru - for at least nine thousand years in some places -but until last century no one guessed the existence of this arid region's unique cultures, whose enigmatic remains, particularly along the coast, show signs of
a particularly sophisticated civilization. With the discovery and subsequent study, beginning in 1901, of ancient sites throughout the coastal zone, it now seems clear that this was home to at least three major cultures: the Paracas (500 BC - 400 AD), the influential Nazca (500 - 800 AD) and finally, contemporaneous with the Chimu of northern Peru and the Cuismancu around Lima, the Ica Culture, or Chincha Empire, overrun by and absorbed into Pachacutec's mushrooming Inca Empire around the beginning of the fifteenth century.
a particularly sophisticated civilization. With the discovery and subsequent study, beginning in 1901, of ancient sites throughout the coastal zone, it now seems clear that this was home to at least three major cultures: the Paracas (500 BC - 400 AD), the influential Nazca (500 - 800 AD) and finally, contemporaneous with the Chimu of northern Peru and the Cuismancu around Lima, the Ica Culture, or Chincha Empire, overrun by and absorbed into Pachacutec's mushrooming Inca Empire around the beginning of the fifteenth century.
One of the great mysteries of South America, the Nazca Lines are a series of animal figures and geometric shapes, none of them repeated and some up to 200km in length, drawn across some five hundred square kilometres of the bleak, stony Pampa de San José. Each one, even such sophisticated motifs as spider monkey or a hummingbird, is executed in a single continuous line, most created by clearing away the brush and hard stones of the plain to reveal the fine dust beneath. They wer possibly a kind of agricultural calendar to help regulate the planting and harvesting of crops, while perhaps at the same time some of the straight lines served as ancient sacred paths connecting huacas, or power spots. One theory proposes that the Lines were used as running tracks in some sort of sporting competition; whichever theory you favour, they are among the strangest and most unforgettable sights in the country.
Tours to the mysterious Nazca Lines
DAY 01 LIMA - PISCO
Go by bus from Lima to Pisco or private service and spend the first day exploring the town and the nearby wineries.
DAY 02 PISCO
Stay in Pisco for two nights while touring Paracas National Reserve including the Islas Ballestas
DAY 03 PISCO - NAZCA
Go to Nazca town and tour the Nazca Lines and some of the area's other sights.
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