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Fly over the Nazca Lines
A bus ride away from Lima are the Nazca Lines.
Some 50 square km of desert floor is covered by vast drawings, figures of mammals, insects and deities.
Like an embroidery of the gods, the lines that decorate the desert floor have been declared a Mankind Heritage Site by UNESCO, and the ancient mystery of the figures still waits to be unraveled.
The Nazca Lines, discovered in 1927, are the most extraordinary legacy left by a culture that flourished 300 BC. The lines are a series of complex designs, some up to 300 metres long which can only be seen properly from the sky, where we take you.
The Nazca culture is not believed to have been capable of manned flight. But the question remains as to how they crafted the drawings, the technology they used and what purpose the lines served.
Nazca Line theories
Theories abound regarding these mysterious etchings, ranging from landing strips for aliens to a giant seismograph.
The most probable theory is that of Marķa Reiche, a German researcher who dedicated her life to studying the lines. Ms Reiche believed that the lines were part of a vast astronomic calendar whose figures marked different solar phases.
Ms Reiche, affectionately nicknamed the Angel of the Plains by the local inhabitants, was the first to discover the ancient technique of digging into the tough and dry desert floor and covering the track with stones brought from distant sites.
The natural plaster elements which exist in the area helped to preserve the drawings for thousands of years: the hummingbird, the spider, the condor and the monkey are among more than 30 figures etched into the plain.
The Nazca Plains (there are four areas in total: Palpa, Ingenio, Nazca and Socos) lie in the department of Ica, some 460 km south of Lima.
You could extend your trip by trekking the Inca Trail or visiting the Amazon.
Check out our Peru group trips, or our many tailor made Peru options. You can always contact the office for more information on tailor made and group options.
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Itinerary |
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Day 1 |
Arrive Nazca, hotel |
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Day 2 |
Early morning Nazca flight. Transfer on to Lima/Ica/Arequipa/Puno/Cusco |
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Included
Hotel, Nazca flights (available from Ica as well), b'fast, transfer to and from airport |
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