| Southern road |

Between the desert and the pacific coast, discover the amazing south of Peru.

Paracas

Small port, 250 km ( 155 miles) from Lima, point of departure to the Ballestas Islands and the Reserve of Paracas. The reserve covers 335 000  hectares, the peninsula is an ecological paradise where birds, sea lions, dolphins, penguins, flamingos (in certain season) can be seen. Impressive landscape can be admired, such as the chandelier, a huge low-relief design (150x50m - 450x165 ft) on a sandy hill in front of the sea.

 

Ballestas

A group of rocky islands, 30 minutes from Paracas by kaunch, where thousand of birds, sea lions, otarias and Humboldt pingouins live. It is here where the famous guano (excrement in Quechua), considered as the best compost in the world gathered. More than 10 million of guano, reaching up to 30 metres (100 ft) in height, that had accumulated for centuries was exported between 1851 and 1872.

 

Ica

"the oasis  of the desert", capital of the department with the same name, on the south of Lima: this city with 238 000 inhabitants, is an important viticulture centre, the region of the national liquor called Pisco (bird in Quechua), with a special climate, dry and sunny the whole year. In the Regional Museum of Ica, wonderful Paracas textiles, that, regardless of time (more than 2 000 years) keep their color intact, trepanned and misshaped skulls besides funeral bundles (mummies) can be admired. Close to Ica you can find the Huacachina Lagoon, which is a small and beautiful oasis among large dunes of white sand, at 5 km (3 miles) from Ica.

 

Nazca

City in the middle of the desert, from where we can fly in a small plane to admire the famous Nazca Lines (UNESCO World Heritage Site), 70 anthropomorphic designs, up to 180 metres (590 ft) in length, 800 straight lines and 300 geometrical figures, made by Paracas and Nazca Pre-Incas civilizations, between 900 BC and 600 AD. The performance and usefulness of these geoglyphs are a mystery today. We also find other attractions from the same cultures, such as more than 30 aqueducts, which were used to irrigate vast areas in the desert, some of which are still being used nowadays. Cantayoc is the most well known, at 4 km (2.5 miles) from Nazca and the Chauchilla cemetery, with its outdoor funeral bundles.

 

Arequipa

2 300 m.a.s.l. (7 544 ft) The second biggest city in the country, with 861 000 inhabitants is well known as "the white city", because of the colour of the volcanic stone (sillar) used in the construction of its colonial style building. Its main economical resources are agriculture and mining. It is here where the best garments of alapaca and vicuna fibre are elaborated. Arequipa is located on the south of the country in the range of volcanoes, dominated by 3 mains: misti, Chachani and Picchu Picchu. Arequipa's food is one of the best in the couintry and can be tasted in a "picanteria". In Arequipa the weather is dry and more than 300 days are sunny with an average temperature of 24C by day and 10C by night.