Ica is known as an area of sand, sea, oases and valleys, the cradle of Peru’s Creole culture, saints and medicine men, where the best Pisco brandy is distilled and where religious fervor is strong in the worship of the Señor de Luren or the Yauca shrine.

Founded in 1563 by Luis Jerónimo de Cabrera, the city of Ica, capital of the department of Ica, still features superb colonial constructions such as the Cathedral and centuries-old mansions. The road to Ica provides the traveler with a variety of attractions. First stop along the way is Chincha, a balmy valley that combines festivals and tradition and which is the heart of a culture forged by the descendants of African slaves brought to work the cotton plantations.

Ica and surrounding areas are the traditional source of Pisco brandy. Ica is home to Museo Regional de Ica, a local museum with many exhibits. On display are pre-Columbian mummies with elongated heads bearing evidence of trepanning. There are also furniture, paintings and artifacts from the Spanish colonial era.

Ica is an important agricultural region, where grapes, cotton, asparagus, olives and other produce is cultivated. Peruvians know it as the land of the sun, and although there are the four seasons, the warm dry climate makes it feels like summer year-round. Natives also claim the climate of the city can help in the curing of asthma.

The region produces Peru’s best dry wines. The Tacama’s property employs French wine experts to help with grape selection and other wine-related consultations, and the result is several outstanding wines. The winery itself is an interesting mix of century-old hacienda with modern winery technology and methods. Tacama produces about 1.5 million liters of wine and Pisco annually.

Ica celebrates three major events: the Wine Festival (Ica is home to many vineyards which produce excellent wines and Pisco) and the festivals of the Señor de Luren and the Virgen del Carmen of Chincha. This is a good time to try typical Ica dishes and sweets, as well as to visit the town of Cachiche, famous for its folk healers who are said to be able to cure all kinds of ills.

Tourist interests

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Cathedral, city of Ica. The original construction dates from the eighteenth century, but it was remodeled in 1814. The outside of the church is of neoclassical style, and inside the Baroque style prevails as seen in the pulpit and altars.

Adolfo Bermudez Jenkins Regional Museum. It featured a collection of pieces from the Paracas, Nasca, Huari, Ica, and Inca cultures. There are also Colonial canvases and furniture and some Republican objects.

Vista Alegre Bodega. A traditional bodega dedicated to the elaboration of wine and Pisco, it still maintains characteristics of Colonial practices of grape processing.

Tacama Vineyard. . It is dedicated to the elaboration of wine and Pisco. The Jesuits owned it during Colonial times, and the mansion and the old stables of the epoch still remain.

Traditional Wine Producing Bodegas. In these bodegas, they elaborate Pisco in the traditional way using distillers made during the Colonial time. In the Ica Valley, there are more than 85 traditional bodegas, the most famous being Lazo, Catador, Sotelo, Alvarez, Mendoza, and Acuache.

Huacachina Lake. It is a traditional relaxation spot for the people of Ica. The lake looks like an oasis in the middle of a desert, forming a splendid landscape of dunes, palm trees, and acacias. Some people believe the water to have medicinal properties.