Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Nazca, Arequipa & the South
A thin ribbon of highway spans Peru's southern coastal desert. The terrain is arid, punctu-
ated by the presence of palm-fringed oases. Deep in the south, a mountain road turns east
and climbs all the way to Arequipa (and beyond that, Lake Titicaca and Cuzco). Welcome
to Peru's well-traveled Gringo Trail.
Despite the touristy nickname, it's an area that holds more depth and diversity than you
might suspect. In Nazca, mysterious pre-Columbian glyphs cross vast expanses of desert.
Off the coast of Paracas, penguins and sea lions come together on rocky outcroppings. And,
in Arequipa, you'll find stately religious citadels that date back to the colony - along with
some of the world's deepest canyons. It is an area that takes you through coast and moun-
tain, through desert and gorge, along the rim of volcanoes where Incas once made human
sacrifices.
What more could anybody possibly ask for?
