Paracas, Ballestas Islands, Ica and Nasca

The Paracas National Reserve is the only reserve on the Peruvian coast. Beautiful beaches, salt flats, the Ballestas Islands with their bizarre rock formations and one of the richest seas in the world can be found here. It serves as a sanctuary for sea lions, elephant seals, penguins, dolphins, flamingos and more than two hundred other bird species. Even condors that «visit» from the Andes can be found here.

This is where the Paracas culture developed around 600 BC, of which the figure of the «candelabra» bears witness. It is carved into the desert sand of a mountain slope that is only visible from the sea.

The city of Nasca is located in the desert coastal strip 500 km south of Lima, the center of the former Nasca culture, which reached its peak before the Incas. Numerous testimonies of the high level of culture are still preserved today, e.g. the ruins of Cahuachi, the Chauchilla burial ground, the underground water channels of Cantalloc and above all the gigantic and mysterious Nazca lines.

The Nazca Lines are lightly carved into the desert floor. They represent geometric shapes (triangles, trapezoids, spirals), animals (monkeys, spiders, birds, lizards, hummingbirds, fish), plants or people. The largest figure reaches a length of 285 m. From the ground they are hardly to perceive, only from the air they can be recognized correctly. Its meaning is still unclear today and has given rise to various theories, e.g. astronomical calendar, landing site for extraterrestrial beings, mystical-magical meaning, worship of the scarce and precious water.

German Maria Reiche dedicated her life to unlocking the mysteries of these lines. Her work and legacy form the foundation of the museum that bears her name.

Travel programs:

		PTW-PIN001 Paracas and the Ballestas Islands 2 days / 1 night Bus ride Lima-Paracas-Lima. Boat trip to Ballestas Island with sea lions, penguins and many birds, past the «Candelabra» and the bay with the flamingos. Tour to Paracas National Reserve.
		PTW-PIN002 Nasca 2 days / 1 night Bus ride from Lima to Nasca and back, flight over the Nasca Lines, overnight stay in Nasca.
		PTW-PIN003 Nasca and Paracas 2 days / 1 night Boat trip to the Ballestas Islands, flight over the Nasca Lines, overnight in Nasca or Paracas.
		PTW-PIN004 Paracas, Ica and Nasca 3 days / 2 nights Excursion to the Paracas National Reserve, boat trip to the Ballestas Islands, city tour in Ica, flight over the Nasca Lines, overnight stays in Paracas and Nasca.

Other tours that include Paracas, the Ballestas Islands, Ica or Nasca can be found under Roundtrips.