Ica
Ica – Valley of mysteries and good Pisco
Ica is a city in southern central Peru, twelfth among the most populous cities in Peru with about 240,000 inhabitants. The local altitude is 406 m above sea level.
In the region of Ica will mainly operate extensive agriculture and agro-export. In the valleys, which are located directly on the pacific desert, you can first come from Lima past extensive plantations where, behind high walls and trees, a wide variety of vegetables and fruits are grown, such as fruit trees. Grapes, asparagus, date palms, pecans, cotton, mangoes and avocados. From here also a large portion for the agricultural export is produced. Part of it goes to Germany.
How do you get from Lima to Ica?
From Lima, there are a variety of coach companies that arrive in Ica on the way to the south of the country, usually after about 4 hours. You will arrive in the terminal in the heart of the city and then very close to the Plaza de Armas of Ica.
If you have your own vehicle or rental car, the ride on the Pananericana South can be shortened to about 3 hours in a smooth ride on paved roads from Lima compared to the bus ride.
What to do in Ica?
Now that you have arrived at your destination, the activities to be done in Ica are diverse:
- Know and buy merchandising in the Plaza de Armas.
- Taste spirits in the vineyards (the wine and pisco route).
- Take a Tubular ride, sandboard and sail in the Huacachina boat.
- Taste the typical cuisine of Ica.
- Take the tours that go to the Paracas and Ballestas Islands Reserve.
What you have to visit
Oase Huacachina
In the Huacachina oasis, just 5 km from the town of Ica, there is a lake surrounded by large sand dunes. Here you will find as a visitor the suitable place to practice Sport types, such as sand boarding and other adventure sports. The first inhabitants settled in the region of Ica about 9,000 years ago and the witnesses such as the “Man of Paracas”, who was discovered in the pampas of Santo Domingo, was historically dated to the years around 6,870.
On August 15th, 2007, this city was severely affected by the earthquake in Peru. 75% of the entire region was destroyed or damaged, and restoration and restoration continues to this day. By 2010, about 35% of the damage caused by the earthquake was restored. The earthquake was measured with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale. In the Ica region there were about 595 dead, 1,800 injured and about 76,000 houses were completely destroyed and uninhabitable. Hundreds of thousands of people were homeless on that day. It took weeks for the first effective remedies to be effective.
The vineyards of the Pisco route
It consists of visiting the most recognized wineries of Ica, where visitors receive an explanation of the process of artisanal and industrial production of wine and pisco, know the facilities, while being invited to taste the various products in each of the wineries Some of these wineries are El Catador, Vista Alegre, Tacama, among others.
Likewise, from the City of Ica it is possible to leave for the coast of Ica, on short trips, to visit various natural attractions where you can experience unique experiences. Among these activities we have:
The Ballestas Islands
It is one of the most impressive tourist places of the Peruvian Coast. It is a natural attraction that hosts a large number of sea lions, seagulls, pelicans, and other marine species. In this adventure you will be able to know the famous geoglifo “El Candelabro”, to travel by boat the Archipelago of the Ballestas Islands, to know the extraordinary marine fauna of the Peruvian Litoral. Read more about the activyties here.
National Reserve of Paracas
It is a coastal marine ecosystem that offers visitors beautiful views and beaches that allow you to enjoy the freshness and the radiant sun of this charming place. Here you can visit the ruins of the La Catedral rock formation, viewpoints of the yellow desert and the red desert, the interpretation room of the Paracas National Reserve, and beaches such as Yumaque, Mendienta, Lagunillas, and La Mina.
Cañon de Los Perdidos
Located to the south east of the district of Santiago in the sector Montegrande, province of Ica approximately has an extension of 5 km; discovered on july 10th, 2011. Formed by the erosion of the Seco river which flows into the Ica river, you can see a lagoon in the middle of the canyon is also frequented by buzzards. Read more about this here.
Traditional dishes
- Carapulcra
- Guiso de pallares verdes
- Sopa seca
- Tejas
