Ica gently cradles Peru's culture, surrounded by deep valleys, sand and sea. The city offers a pleasantly warm and dry climate which is helpful to those adjusting from variance in elevation or having trouble with asthma on their trip to Peru. Ica is in a location to enjoy Southern Peru attractions as well as the story behind the controversial Ica Stones.
The tradition of wine making in Ica spans back many years and is known for the production of white grape Pisco that is a sort of a brandy and is the staple ingredient of the Pisco sour, Peru's favorite cocktail. Where ever you venture through Peru, you are sure to be offered a Pisco sour. You can also visit a desert oasis, look for pre-Columbian artifacts or book a tour through the desert.
Human settlement in Ica dates back over 10,000 years ago and the city offers the Ica Regional Museum full of important artifacts to prove it. There are plenty of other museums to satisfy your historical curiosity and some amazing colonial architecture such as the Cathedral Ica Peru.
The well known Ica stones are an impressive collection of thousands of stones that have been engraved and challenge beliefs of many scientists. The stones supposedly came from within a cave located in the Ica region that depict of humans once coinciding with dinosaurs. The cave however has never been found. The locals here are more than willing to tell you the intriguing story.
Ica offers plenty of desert sports such taking a ride in a dune buggy or sand-boarding. There's a paleontology tour where you can explore fossils or relax at the Huacachina Oasis. The Oasis is a palm tree lined desert lagoon that is rated one of the top vacation destination spots in Peru.
There's a few events that happen annually in Ica, always worth checking out, primarily the Vintage Festival. It celebrates the harvest of the grapes with musical festivals, horse exhibitions and plenty of decorations. The Vintage Queen is crowned and carried to crush the first grapes of the harvest.
The Fisherman's Festival happens in May and includes not only fishing contests but cooking contests as well for the battle of the best chef. You'll eat a lot of good food during this festival! Other festivals include the Virgen del Rosario de Yauca and the Virgen del Carmen de Chincha.
Ica offers a few beaches worth mentioning as well so even if you're coming to enjoy the history, you can still soak up some sun. Beaches la Mina, El Raspon and Languinillas have clear waters and a few smaller waves for surfing while Yumaque Beach is considered a favorite for the sunbathers. There are also many rocky beaches with exotic animals.
The Lines of Nazca are the primary reason why people visit Ica. People travel from all over the world for a chance to view these important parts of history. The old settlers left a sort of net of lines and also drawings of plants and animals. To fly over and view these are a once in a lifetime, unforgettable experience. They are believed to be giant sort of calendar with some sort of astronomical significance built more than 2000 years ago.
Whether you are visiting Ica for the Nazca lines or to taste the wine, the city is sure to keep you busy, yet relaxed, for awhile.