ICA, PERU

Located in the South coast of Peru, SE of Lima, Ica is a pleasant colonial town founded by the Spanish Conquistadores in 1563. It is surrounded by enormous sand dunes, but irrigation by the Ica River has created an oasis that is famous for its grapes and cotton; there is also a thriving pisco and wine industry, and distilleries and wineries can be visited.

The area was inhabited over 10,000 years ago by Pre-Inca cultures which were famous for its beautiful textiles, shawls and blankets, as well as its surgical operations and mummification procedures; later cultures developed colorful ceramics decorated with human forms. Another important legacy is the underground water system used to irrigate the desert and to supply drinking water to the area’s inhabitants.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Museo Regional de Ica is one of Peru’s best small regional museums. It features superb examples of weavings, beautiful ceramics, well-preserved mummies, trepanated skulls, and objects from the Paracas, Nasca and Inca cultures.

Nasca, located 80 miles from Ica, has a complex of underground aqueducts that offer evidence of the culture’s technological development in the cultivation of the land.

Nasca Lines, the mysterious markings in the sand, spread over an area of 135 sq. miles that can be seen only from the air, have been extensively studied for decades. Interpretations about their origin abound: gods, aliens, giants?