What to see in Peru

Nazca

Conveniently located on the overland route between Lima and the Peruvian Andes, Nazca is nestled within Peru’s southern desert region. Nazca is a small, desert city, with a huge reputation. Home to the famous Nazca Lines, it’s the jumping-off point for excursions to discover these curious, unexplained geoglyphs which date back to pre-Inca times. 

A tour of Peru is incomplete without contemplating these mysterious messages from the past, and the city of Nazca is the go-to destination for flight tours to witness the Nazca Lines from a birds-eye perspective. 

This unique region of Peru is known for its extremely arid climate. In fact, the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nazca are one of the driest places on earth. Expect high temperatures and very minimal rainfall. These dry, windless conditions have been key in the preservation of the legendary Nazca Lines.

Although most travel to Nazca solely to see the Nazca Lines, it might be worth staying a while in order to understand more about the ancient Nazca civilisation that carved these mysterious lines into the desert. 

Things to do in Nazca

Of course, the most popular thing to do in Nazca is to take a Nazca Lines Flight Tour! Discovered in 1927, scientific understanding of the Nazca Lines remains limited and there are a weird and wonderful array of Nazca Lines theories. One thing is for sure though: they’re one of Peru’s most curious and exciting sights. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the best way to experience the sheer scale and beauty of these fascinating lines is from the sky. Small aircrafts leaving from Nazca airport allow passengers to admire some of the most famous line formations such as the Astronaut, Monkey, Spider and Flamingo, carved into the dry desert floor between 200 BC and 500 AD.

If you’d prefer not to fly, there is an Observation Tower, situated north of Nazca city where you can enjoy a good view of two of the geoglyphs: the Tree and the Hand.

On an overflight of the Nazca Lines, you often have the chance to extend your flight and see the nearby Palpa Lines as well. Pre-dating the Nazca Lines by several hundred years, these mysterious desert carvings are even more curious and come in many different forms. The most famous of the Palpa Lines is ‘The Family’, a group of eight figures on a hillside. 

Other things to do in Nazca city include visiting the ancient Cantalloc Aqueducts, a testament to the ingenuity of the ancient Nazca civilisation, and the Antonini Archeological Museum, to admire a wide array of artefacts, including a number of Nazca mummies.