The Nazca Lines were officially declared "Archaeological World Heritage Site" by UNESCO in 1994, and are located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, about 400 km south of Lima (in car is approximately 5 hours). The figures of Nazca and the “pampas” of Jumana cover about 450 square km.
Many skeptical think the Nazca lines were drawn by aliens, but the scientifics say that the lines were scratched on the surface of the ground and because of the peculiarity of the wind in the area, the sand never enters the grooves so the lines can survive, and have indeed survive for centuries, because they were made by the Nazca civilization between 500 B.C and 500 A.D., and remain among archaeology’s greatest enigmas because of their size, nature and continuity.
The figures depict living creatures, stylized plants and imaginary beings, as well as geometric figures several kilometers long, and the best way to appreciate it is by helicopter or a small plane. There are helicopter trips every day but it is strongly recommended to hire a trusted company (just ask in the front desk of your hotel) and in days when the wind is not so heavy!
The historians believe the figures of the Nazca lines have had ritual astronomical functions. The figures of the spider, the monkey, the dog, the small lizard, the hummingbird, the condor, and the astronaut, among others, stand out.
Nazca city has comfortable hotels, restaurants, banks, Internet cabins, and an aerodrome, but because is just two hours by car from Ica, many people prefer to stay in a hotel to spend the night in Ica or Paracas and from there take a tour to Nazca, just because these last cities are bigger and you can find more and better hotels there, but if you don’t really care much about these or are relly of the adventurous type you can always stay in Nazca.
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