What to See in Nazca

The Plaza de Armas of Nasca is the main square of the city. In the center of the main square, visitors can find a fountain of water. During the night, multicolored lights in the fountain give it a special charm.

The famous Nazca Lines are ancient geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert. In 1994, the Nazca Lines were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is said that the lines were created by the Nazca culture between 500 BC and 500 AD. There are different models: hundreds of the geoglyphs are only simple lines, but more than 70 geoglyphs show animals like birds, fish, llamas, jaguars, and monkeys, but also human figures too. Some of the figures are even up to 370 m long. If you do a flight over the area, you can admire the Nazca Lines from above.

From this tower you can observe the Nazca Lines – a good option for people that do not want to do the flight over the Nazca Lines. However, you only see a few lines.

The house of the archaeologist María Reiche is a museum in which her studies of the Nazca Lines are exhibited. In the museum, you can find maps, photos, and plans in four exhibition halls. Apart from that, the remains of Dr. Reiche and her sister Renata rest in peace in this place.

Exhibiting different ceramic articles, textiles, and mummies of the Nazca culture, this museum shows the history of the Nazca zone from the pre-Hispanic times until today. It is located in Avenida Los Espinales, in the corner with José María Mejía. Visitors and tourists can enjoy a guided tour through the museum and watch videos about the development of the Nazca culture as well as other attractions of the culture.

The Antonini Archaeological Museum is located in the Peruvian city of Nazca on Avenida de la Cultura 600. It exhibits a large part of the findings that were discovered by the Italian mission called “Proyecto Nazca” that occurred between 1982-2011. The complex of the museum is built on an interior surface of 750 m² and an archaeological park having a size of 1600 m² where reconstructions of tombs are presented in natural size.

This archaeological site is located 2 km from the city of Nazca on the slope of small hills. Paredones is another Spanish word for ruins. However, historical studies have discovered that the original name of the Inca site is Caxamarca. It was built to exercise administrative control and served as a link between the coast and the mountains. Apart from that, the site was the residence of the representative of Cusco.

Located 4 km from Nazca, the 40 Cantalloc Aqueducts were built by the Nazca culture about 1,500 years ago. These aqueducts belong to a system of aqueducts that are called “puquios.” They were responsible for the water supply of the city and its surroundings and allowed the cultivation of cotton, beans, and potatoes.

Built between 400 AC and 400 AD, this complex is said to be one of the oldest religious centers in America. Cahuachi means "place where the seers live" and is located 28 kilometers from Nazca. Most attractive are the Great Pyramid with its height of 28 meters and the Great Temple where the main ceremonies of high magic were realized by the sacerdotal caste.

The 1000-year old Cemetery of Chauchilla is located 30 km outside Nazca. One can see skeletal remains of the Poroma and Ica culture. The site is considered to be the largest necropolis of the pre-Inca period. Apart from the funerary constructions one can observe mummies, most of which are in very good condition. Their mummification was due to a natural event alone with the type of terrain in the area. Among the mummified remains are those that were of infants. To ensure their conservation, the mummies have been moved to a museum site. The Cemetery of Chauchilla is the only place in Peru where mummies can be seen in their own tombs.

At 2,078 meters high, the Cerro Blanco is the highest dune in South America. The dune is located in the Nazca Valley, 20 kilometers from the city of Nazca and can be reached by a hike through the mountains that are part of the Peruvian Andes. From the summit, visitors can enjoy the beautiful landscape and the Andean mountain range, which is a strong contrast in comparison to the white Cerro Blanco. The Cerro Blanco is also the perfect destination for sandboarding.