4 / 5 - 2 reviews
How to get there
6 hours by bus from Lima
When to go
Between April and September
Minimum stay
One day
Nazca (Peru)
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David Debrincat
Practical information on Nazca
Reviews of Nazca
6 hours by road from Lima, right in the middle of an ugly desert, Nazca is a really ugly town which nonetheless attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. Why? Because of the legendary and mysterious lines drawn in its soil.
My suggestion:
You can sometimes wait three days before you can fly over the lines. Make a reservation in advance because 3 days in Nazca...Good luck!
My review
I visited Nazca during my 11 month long world tour. My imagination had been fed by photos of those mysterious lines that are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I have to admit that it was a huge shock when I got off the bus in the centre of town. The town is completely charmless and the desert which surrounds it is just as ugly. With my heart in my shoes I went to the airport 4km away asking myself what I was going to do for three days in this revolting temple to tourism in Peru. Miraculously, I managed to get on a little plane barely an hour later. However, it is better to reserve several days in advance.
30 minutes flying over the spider, the hummingbird, the tree, the condor, the dog, the monkey...The plane tilted to the right and to the left - my stomach was sorely tested. I sat on the pavement for two hours afterwards to calm down.
How the lines got there remains a mystery but there are several theories. Maria Reiche, a specialist in the Nazca lines, thinks they are an astronomical calendar. For several archaeologists they represent copies of the shapes formed by stars so that their movements can be more easily studied. They could also be representations of hydraulic veins. For others, such as Charroux, they are the work of extraterrestrials. The only thing that's certain is that because of climatic erosion they are likely to disappear rapidly. I recommend you go and see them while there is still time.
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David Debrincat
A town south of Lima known mainly for its huge and mysterious geoglyphs.
My suggestion:
Take a trip to El Mirador de Palpa, where the lines are smaller but also older than those at Nazca. And don't forget to watch the sunset from the sand dunes near the famous lines!
My review
The town of Nazca certainly isn't the prettiest in Peru but nonetheless I loved the visit. Of course the principal attraction of this spot is the mysterious lines. Lost in the middle of the Atacama desert, these giant geoglyphs dating from the Paracas and Nazca eras (from 800BC to AD200) are still visible today thanks to the extremely dry climate in this area where it never rains.
The best way to appreciate their size is to to fly over them in a plane. This is an extra cost, obviously, but taking into account the mystery surrounding the lines ( thousands of hypotheses going from aliens to the more plausible idea of the calendar) and the beauty of the setting, the experience is incredible. Definitely to be be recommended during any holiday in Peru.
From Nazca you can also visit other archeological areas; from tombs with mummies with rasta haircuts to beautifully built aqueducts still in service today. A special mention on my part for the night walk leading to the summit of Cerro Blanco, or the highest dune in the world, ending after a beautiful sunrise with a descent on a sunboard, also known as a sandboard. And a shocking detail for those who like me are afraid of sensations a touch too scary: the board can also be used as a sledge... Oof!!
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Cyril Bèle
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Göran Höglund
230 travelers' photos
