Viewing the Nazca Lines

Located in the desert in the south of Peru are the mysterious Nazca Lines. These series of ancient geoglyphs can only be seen from the air.

Created by removing the reddish stones from the desert floor to reveal the white ground beneath. The lines have withstood the test of time, scholars believe that the lines were created by the great Nazca Culture between 400 and 650 AD. The fact that the Nazca Plateau is one of the driest places on earth as well as the fact it has very little window may be why they have been able to survive.

Though the actual purpose of the lines is unknown there has been much speculation over the years everything from runways for extraterrestrials to Maria Reiche's theory of them being a calendar.

Visitors to Nazca have two ways to see the lines. The best way to see the majority of the lines is to board a small cessna type aircraft and do a fly over. The other option for the less adventuresome are the viewing towers along the Pan American Highway which offer visitors the chance to see several of the lines.

Nazca is approximately an 8 to 10 hour trip from Lima via the Pan American highway. Visitors to Nazca can then continue to Cusco, Arequipa, Puno or Chile.