The city of Nazca and its famous sights

Nazca city

The quiet city of Nazca is the capital of the province of the same name in the Ica region, located about 450 km south of Lima, directly on the Pan-American Highway. Nazca has become famous for the mysterious lines that extend for hundreds of kilometers in the valleys of the city and whose importance has not yet been fully clarified. Some of the huge “sand paintings” show animals such as the hummingbird, a monkey, a spider or even the jaguar, while other lines lead in geometric shapes or simply as endless roads through the desert.

With its discovery and the consequent increase in tourism, much has changed in the city, in good German: a lot of hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops have been added. But let’s be honest: whoever comes to Nazca will come by the Nazca Lines and the archaeological and historical sites in the area, the city itself does not necessarily have much to do with it.

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Attractions in and around Nazca

“Not necessarily a lot” does not mean “nothing”, so if you have some time, you can spend some interesting hours in Nazca. The best part? Everything worth seeing can be easily reached on foot. As is usually the case, most of the places of interest, restaurants, bars and cafes are grouped around the Plaza de Armas, the market in the center.

From here you can visit, for example, the Antonini Archaeological Museum on Av. Visite Cultura 606 to learn a little more about Nazca and other local cultures. In the information museum you will find not only numerous pieces of ceramics and textiles from the Nazca period, but also an operating aqueduct and a miniature version of the Nazca lines.

Right on the outskirts of Nazca is Chauchilla Cemetery and if you are in an almost ghostly mood, you should not miss a short trip here. The cemetery, dating from the pre-Inca era, was almost completely looted by grave robbers; only the bones of the deceased left them and they can be visited today. The bones are more or less open in the desert, like the pieces of pottery and other remains left by grave robbers. The Cemetery of Chauchilla is the only archaeological site where you can see the remains of the deceased, about 1,000 years old, in their tombs. And while you’re here, why not take a trip to the Nazca Pottery Workshop, where you’ll learn how to make the famous Nazca ceramics, and an old gold processing facility is also nearby.

The Nazca canals, or Puquios, is an intricate system of underground canals used by the Nazca to irrigate their fields and gardens, despite the surrounding desert and very little rain. The incredible? The channels are still in service today and the best preserved can be found in Cantalloc (another name is Cantayo). There are spiral entries in the network of more than a hundred channels, probably to control and purify them.

The Nazca lines

They are the star of Nazca and nobody really knew why: the Nazca lines that extend over an area of more than 500 square kilometers, ranging from animal figures to hundreds of lines and geometric shapes. Only a few years ago, after a sandstorm, a lot of new lines were discovered and who knows how many are still buried under the sand dunes.

The lines are estimated at 1,400 – 2,000 years and have been manufactured with incredible precision. However, it should take until the 1920s, until they should be discovered. This is mainly because you barely notice the lines from the ground. Only when the first flight link between Lima and Arequipa began to operate and flew directly over the area did the pilots notice the strange lines.

The size and the fact that the Nasca lines can only be seen from the air in all their glory has led to many speculations, the most incredible of which is the theory that aliens must have helped here. This could be mainly due to the figure of the strange man, who surprisingly remembers an extraterrestrial television that he wanted to call home.

Some of the lines are designed to “hit the sun” in mid-summer to indicate the beginning of planting or harvest time; other lines may have a religious meaning or indicate water sources.

Directly in the Panamericana there is a watchtower, from where you can see three of the best known figures. However, stairs are not necessarily for you, if you are afraid of heights. To capture all the splendor of the Nazca lines, you should book a sightseeing flight. The start of Maria Reiche’s small airport usually takes between half an hour and an hour. The price can vary a lot, so it’s worth comparing first at the airport, the different offers and possibly the prices of other suppliers as a “lever”. “for a better price.

Nepper, tugs, tourist catcher

Almost no other tourist stronghold in Peru will have so many “tour operators” trying to cheat you, but if you’re ready for it, nothing should go wrong. These are the most popular tricks that try to get the money out of your pocket:

“Your hotel is good, but reserved due to a trade fair, I can offer you a room in XYZ!”
“No, your hotel is terrible, it has changed owners and it has not been recommended since then, I can offer you a room in XYZ”
“With me, you get everything from a single source: my father-in-law has a hotel, my brother a plane and I have a tourist travel office.”

Then, or something like that, it will be directed to you the moment you leave the bus in Nazca. If you have already booked a hotel in advance, do not “talk”, but be friendly, but determined.

At this point, as a foreigner living in Peru, I want to emphasize that this is one of the few exceptions. Peruvians are usually honest, kind and polite people who do not deceive foreigners. Which does not mean that all prices must be accepted immediately. Get used to the prices just to say “a little less” or in Spanish “algo menus”. It is customary to act.

Food and drink in Nazca

There is no shortage of local restaurants that can be found throughout Nazca. Here, where the locals come, you can enjoy a menu (soup, a choice of 3 to 5 main courses and a non-alcoholic drink) for around 5 to 10 soles. Attention, here you can also find unusual flavors like llama or guinea pigs in our menu.

On the edge of the Plaza de Armas there are also plenty of food carts, where you can get delicious street food for little money.

You can drink in one of the numerous bars of the Jr. Bolognesi, and of course, the national drink Pisco Sour and other delicacies such as corn beer and the Cía.

How to get to Nazca

Although there is a small airport in Nazca, it is currently only used for the flights over the Nazca lines. But as so often in Peru, here are the buses on the spot, you bring relatively comfortable and especially cheap through the country.

From Lima you can make the approximately 450 km long route in about 8 hours, from Cuzco it takes about 14 hours (there are night buses), from Arequipa in about 9 hours.

The nearest major city Ica can be reached by bus in about 2 – 3 hours, but the buses usually only go off when they are full.