South & Central America
Highlights - Essential Info - Itineraries
- Arequipa
- Cusco
- Lake Titicaca & Puno
- Lima
- Machu Picchu
- Nazca Lines
- Pisco, Ica & Paracas National Reserve
- Sacred Valley of the Incas
- The Amazon Rainforest
- The Colca Canyon
- The Inca Trail
- Trujillo & Chiclayo
Nazca Lines
Overlooked by the Cerro Blanco (2078m), the highest sand dune in the world, the town of Nazca lies 140 kms south of Ica and is set in a green valley surrounded by mountains.
Although a popular place for locals to visit for recreational purposes such as dune boarding and paragliding, Nazca has become world famous on account of the extraordinary series of over seventy lines and shapes etched into the desert plains. First discovered from the air in the early 20th Century, this large number of geometrical shapes and figures such as a monkey, birds and spiders were etched into the land by the Nazca people around 400 BC and the process continued for many years afterwards.
The theories behind their existence range from astronomical calendars to extraterrestrial landing spots and everything possible in between! One of the most famous people to work on the lines was a German lady called Maria Reiche who lived there and studied them for over fifty years and she was of the belief that they represented a huge astronomical calendar.
Our preferred hotels include:
Casa Andina Classic - Nazca
Hotel Cantaya Spa & Resort
Majoro Hotel
