The Nasca lines and geoglyphs are located in the Ica region, specifically in the valleys of Palpa and Nasca, 450 kilometers south of Lima and near the Pacific Ocean. Located at the edge of the Western Andes, they are 600 meters above sea level. To arrive by land you can travel by tour buses that depart from the cities of Lima, Arequipa and Cusco.
There are no scheduled commercial flights to Ica. Without a doubt, to enjoy and observe the Nasca Lines, it is preferable to see them from the air, a space from where the perspective of the figures is unique and unrepeatable. To do this, the visitor can make a trip in a plane.
It is the most remembered of the figures for its harmonic dimensions, the distance between its two wings is approximately 66 meters.
Considered through the years as one of the most representative figures of this tourist attraction, its discovery and subsequent study would suppose religious activities and cults that took place among the settlers of the ancient Nasca.
As the historian Maria Rostworowski mentions, the figures were made to be seen from the sky. However, the function of this figure was not to understand the stars, but to pay tribute to a flying God respected and feared by the people. In this way, it would serve as an offering so that this deity does not punish them with absences of rain, which in a dry land like Nasca would produce devastating consequences.
Picture: 'Colibri'
The curiosity of this figure is that it shows the monkey with nine fingers and a tail in the form of a spiral. It is believed that he is representing the Big Dipper. It is also considered one of the most transcendental, with an approximate size of 135 meters.
The discovery of these strokes by the German researcher Maria Reiche was the starting point necessary to feed the theories that had been developing on a possible astronomical origin, where the ancient settlers of Nasca used this gigantic geoglyph as a starting point to study the sky and prepare for the events that could arrive.
As mentioned by the researcher, the group of space constellations had a direct relationship with the formation of the tail and hands of the monkey geoglyph. The appearance in the sky of these stars would be directly related to the approach of rainy seasons, extremely important for a land such as Nasca has.
Picture: 'Monkey
With an approximate length of 160 meters, the most characteristic of this figure is in its own head, which is formed by segments of circles that have a radius that varies between 10 and 20 centimeters. In profile, two circles of equal size could represent your eyes.
As mentioned by María Reiche at the time of making the discovery, the immensity of this figure is that if you stand at the end of one wing you can not see the other side. Approximately, it is the equivalent to the measure of 6 football fields.
The realization of this geoglyph would be within astronomy, because its alignment would be responding to a configuration of the night sky. It can be seen that it is not aligned with sunsets or the moon. However, if it is aligned with Fomalhaut, a very bright star that is in the Pisces constellation.
Picture: BIRD FRIGATE
Being part of a huge network of lines located on the edge of a trapezoid on the earth's surface, it is another of the most outstanding figures thanks to the skill to make your stroke. It measures approximately 46 meters long.
The skill with which this figure was constructed would not only represent an impressive act of art, but since its discovery was related to the constellation of Orion, which is known worldwide for being one of the brightest in outer space.
This geoglyph has both astronomical and religious aspects. Both are related to the realization of omens about the rainy season. In this way, when being in a very arid place, the settlers and students used this figure to avoid times of droughts.
This program has the fusion of the Inca and Spanish architectural styles throughout the Sacred Valley and the city of Cusco.
450.00
4 days
Get to know the splendor of Cusco with this private tour where you will know the most important points that the city of Cusco offers.
0.00
4 days
A tour that will show you the most magical places in Cusco, full of culture and adventure, will be an unforgettable experience!
0.00
7 days
