Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
FLYING OVER THE NAZCA LINES
A spectacular way of seeing the Lines is to fly over them. Flights leave from Nazca airstrip,
about 3km south of Nazca, and cost from US$100 per person, lasting around 30min. Note
that flights only take off when the skies are clear; this can sometimes mean a delay at the
airport until the weather conditions improve. Depending on the time of day, the Lines
appear different due to the angle of the sun, although both morning and afternoon
departures have their own particular charm. In the winter months of July and August it is
best to fly in the afternoons, while in January, February and March early morning (6-11am)
and late afternoon (3-5pm) take-offs are best. Those who suffer from motion sickness may
want to skip breakfast as it is not unlike being on a roller coaster when the small plane zips
around the sky, turning tight circles around each giant figure so that people on both sides of
the plane get a good look.
The most popular operators are Aeroparacas (Teodoro
Cardenas 470, Lima T 01 265 8073, W aeroparacas
.com) and Alas Peruanas (Lima 168, Nazca T 056 522
497, W alasperuanas.com). Both have an excellent
safety record and well-maintained planes. Pay the S25
airport tax before boarding your flight.
TOUR OPERATORS
You will be assaulted with offers of flights the moment
you arrive in Nazca, but since they are not likely to sell
out, it's best not to accept the first offer you get, as
it's likely to be marked up. Any hotel/hostel will help
you organize your flight.
Chauchilla Cemetery
Roughly 30km south of Nazca,
Chauchilla Cemetery is an atmospheric
sight. Scattered about the dusty ground
are literally thousands of graves, dating
back to the Nazca culture (400 BC-800
AD), which have been cleaned up in
recent years and organized for visitors,
though bits of human bone and broken
pottery shards still litter the ground, left
there by grave robbers from decades ago.
There are clear walkways from which
you must not stray, and open graves
have roofs built over them to save the
mummies, skeletons, shroud fabric and
lengths of braided hair from the desert
sun. The mummies with the longest hair
are the chiefs, and the Nazca mummified
animals as well; look for a child's pet
parrot. It is an impressive experience,
intensified by the curator's decision to
arrange the mummies into positions
intended to represent their daily lives.
Tours of the cemetery last around three
hours and take in a pottery workshop
and a gold-processing centre on the way
back to town.
importance to the Nazca culture,
consisting of 44 pyramids, only one
of which has been renovated; the rest
are still hidden under the sand. There is
also a llama cemetery and a site called
Estaquería - a possible place of
mummification. It lies in the middle of
the desert, 25km west of Nazca along a
dirt track; on the way, you pass ransacked
ancient graveyards with scattered human
remains. Tours normally take place in
the morning, as sandstorms can pick up
in the afternoon.
Paredones and Aquaductos de
Cantallo
These two sites are normally seen
as part of one tour as they are close
together. he Paredones ruins , 2km
southeast of town, are the crumbling
remains of an Inca fortress and
administrative centre (and now home
to desert owls). The Cantallo Aqueducts
lie 5km further on; constructed by the
Nazca, they consist of stone spirals going
deep into the ground and are still used
to irrigate the nearby fields. It used to be
possible to enter the aqueducts through
the ventanas (windows) - the holes out
of which the water would come out
- but this has been forbidden since the
last earthquake.
Cahuachi
Currently being excavated by an Italian
archeological team, Cahuachi is an
enormous ceremonial centre of great
 
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