Destinations

Paracas, Ica and Nasca

Paracas, 150 miles south of Lima, is home to Peru´s largest coastal wildlife sanctuary. Within it are the Ballestas Islands, home to thousands of resident and migratory sea birds, including pelicans, boobies, cormorants, terns and penguins that share their habitat with herds of sea lions and fur seals. In the summer, condors and flamingoes are also frequent visitors to the bay shore.

Just one hour drive along the Pan American highway takes the visitor south to Ica, a verdant oasis and home of Peru´s famous pisco grape brandy. Ica is an esoteric land, one of profound religious faith, sand dunes, valleys, and sun, is an agricultural zone where you see interspersed among the extensive desert area fields of cotton, butter beans, asparagus, citrus tree orchards, as well as vineyards.

You can visit these vineyards, where they produce excellent piscos and wines, the Huacachina Lake, a beautiful oasis situated among the sand dunes just a few minutes away from Ica, and Chincha, the valley which gave birth to the Afro-Peruvian music.

Further south lies Nasca, site of the world famous Nasca Lines. These giant animals and geometric figures were etched on the desert sands by Nasca people 1,500 years ago. While they can be seen from ground towers, the Nasca Linesare best viewed from the air. Airstrips in both Ica and Nasca permit aerial viewing of the Nasca Lines on short, comfortable flights.

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