The Nazca Lines
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on April 19, 2022 by James Bustamante
The Nazca Lines refer to the ancient geometric lines spanning the Nazca desert and the mysterious animal geoglyphs along the way. Scientist Paul Kosok was the first to document the Nazca Lines in 1939 and declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1994. Thought to have been made by a pre-Inca civilization around 450–600 AD, these enormous etchings attract a sizeable amount of archaeologists, scientists, history buffs, New Age mystics, curious tourists, and visitors on their way to (or back from) Machu Picchu.
Learn how to see the Nazca Lines and what activities you can do before during and after the flight. How to See the Nazca Lines Tour
The Nazca Lines extend to over 300 square miles (500 square km) of arid territory in the Pampa Colorada (Red Plain) region in the Naza desert. The area comprises over 800 straight lines, 300 geometric figures (geoglyphs), and 70 animal and plant drawings (biomorphs).
The lines are almost invisible on the ground. However, if you take a flight, you can see that they form a striking network of stylized figures and channels, many of which radiate from a central axis. Nobody seems to be quite sure how they were made and by whom. Perhaps you could also take a shot at it while on your flight over this incredible area.
The most elaborate designs represent animals, including a giant lizard, a monkey with an extravagantly curled tail, and a condor with a 130m (426ft) wingspan. There’s also a hummingbird, spider, and a mysterious owl-headed person on a hillside, popularly referred to as an astronaut because of its goldfish-bowl-shaped head – though some believe it’s a priest with a mystical owl’s head.
Other sites include the Cantallo Aqueducts, which are still in working order and generally irrigate the surrounding fields. Entrance is no longer admitted once possible to enter the aqueducts through the spiraling window-like cave used by the local people to clean the aqueducts. You can, however, take pictures of Nazca’s exceptional stonework from the outside.
It’s possible, but not necessarily safe, to walk to the aqueducts. At least, don’t carry any valuables as the area can be kind of tricky to handle. You can also hire a taxi to take you there (and perhaps which should cost around S40 to S50 round-trip. Tours from Nazca that take 2½ hours cost US$5 per person and may be combined with a visit to see El Telar, a geoglyph found in the town of Buena Fe, and visits to local gold and ceramics workshops.
Although somewhat shorter than most trips we offer, we suggest taking a tour of the Nazca Lines by adding it to any one of our various packages. For Peru travel information in regards to Nazca Lines tours or any of our Peru tour packages, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at [email protected]
