Nazca Attractions

Tourist attractions in the Nazca region are situated in and around the city center, as well as on the outskirts of this small, charming town.

The Museo Arqueologico Antonini is an excellent informative museum that gives an extensive overview of the regional Nazca culture and gives visitors a taste of Nazca’s outlying sites. Indoors, guests can view reproductions of burial tombs, as well as a valuable collection of ceramic pan flutes. Outdoors there is a piece of Nazca history left behind with the running aqueduct flowing through the museum’s garden. It is located on Avenida de la Cultura 606 (follow Jr Bolognese about 1km east).

The Nazca civilization created a subterranean underground system of aqueducts (also known as puquios) that would irrigate the dry, desert lands of the area. 30 underground channels of the system function to this day and are utilized by local farmers whose main products are corn, cotton and potatoes. Visitors to Nazca can see the most famous of all these aqueduct systems, the Aqueducts of Cantalloc, which is one of the oldest and therefore most antique in architecture. It is situated about 2 ½ miles from the southwest part of Nazca and easily accessible by taxi.

The only archaeological site in Peru in which visitors can witness mummies in their original graves, the Cemetery of Chauchilla is a mysterious attraction that features the bodies of ancient Nazca people that were naturally mummified in the arid climate. Dating back to 1000 AD, the skulls, bones and ceramic fragments of this long-gone civilization can be viewed at this cemetery. A visit to the site also allows travelers to take part in a Nazca ceramic workshop where they can learn about the old technique of making Nazca pottery. The cemetery is some 30 KM from downtown Nazca.

Opened in May of 2000 in honor of Maria Reiche, “guardian of the Nazca lines”, the Maria Reiche Planetarium lets visitors see the stars, moon, and planets through modern telescopes while also remembering Reiche’s intensive research and incredible accomplishments in fostering recognition for one of Peru’s most popular tourist attractions. Interesting lectures on the lines, based on Reiche’s teachings and focused on astronomy and archaeology, are given daily. Find the planetarium on Jr. Bolognesi N 300.

The vicuña sanctuary at the Reserva Nacional Pampas Galeras is located about 90km east of Nazca atop the high mountains of the region. This is the ideal place to see these endangered species, wild relatives of the alpacas. The best time of year to visit this national reserve is during the Chaccu, when vicuñas are rounded up by hundreds of villagers in preparation for shearing. This festive event, that includes dancing, drinking, music, and traditional ceremonies, lasts three entire days.