The Nazca Lines: Exploring One Of Peru's Most Mysterious Sites

Widely regarded as one of Peru’s most symbolic ancient creations, the Nazca Lines are a truly remarkable feat.

Located within the remote Nazca Desert along Peru’s Pacific coastal plains, over 300 geoglyphs can be spotted here, which depict sacred animals, human figures and deities of the Nazca civilization. What’s truly impressive though is the sheer size of each one - with some measuring up to almost 1000 ft in length - which can be seen clearly when flying from above.

In this guide, we’ll explore the Nazca Lines and the history behind one of Peru’s most mind-boggling sights. As well as showing you how you can visit the Nazca Lines in style, we’ll also answer your most frequent questions in our FAQ section.

The Unique History Behind The Nazca Lines

Peru is home to many incredible ancient ruins. This includes the mighty Machu Picchu where a mountain was carved to make way for the royal citadel, as well as the vivid acoustics and dark tunnels of the Chavín de Huántar site. However the Nazca Lines remains one of the most inexplicable ruins of all, both in how they were made and given their exact purpose is still unknown to this day.

First created by the Nazca culture over 2000 years ago, between 500 B.C and 500 A.D, the largest of these perfectly-straight lines measure up to 48 km in length. They were carved out of the desert by hand and by using local tools, exposing the lighter soil layers underneath which contrast with the red iron oxides on the surface. 

Over 350 complete geoglyphs have been recorded in the area, which can all be seen when flying above the Nazca Lines. These depict everything from animals like the dog and the whale to bizarre humanoid-like depictions, with the largest (the Pelican) measuring almost 1000 ft. While still a mystery as to exactly why they were created, researchers believe they were either made for symbolic rituals or as an astronomical calendar.

How To Visit The Nazca Lines During Your Luxury Peru Vacation

The Nazca Lines are located close to the city of Nazca, which is roughly 419 km south of Lima and takes almost 6 hours to drive to directly. Here you can either visit the observatory tower which offers views from a raised platform, or take a flyover from the local Nazca airport. Alternatively for the most convenient and luxurious option, you can take a private chartered flight over the Nazca Lines from Pisco, which is a small town situated just a couple of hours south of the Peruvian capital.

During the overflight, your experienced pilot will safely fly into the desert region where you will then have perfect 360° views of the different geoglyphs. Equipped with soundproof headsets along with comfortable seats, your pilot will then point out the largest and most important geoglyphs, as well as explain to you the history and sacred beliefs of each figure for the Nazca culture. Upon landing, you can then make your way back to Lima, or alternatively visit the incredible Ballestas Islands and nearby fishing village of Paracas.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding The Nazca Lines

Below we’ll now answer some of the most frequent questions we get about the Nazca Lines, as well as anything else important that you need to know.

Why Don’t The Nazca Lines Disappear?

The Nazca Desert is one of the most arid areas on Earth, receiving as little as just 4mm of rainfall throughout the entire year. There is also very little wind in this area, meaning erosion from both rain and wind is minimal. As well as these factors, the Nazca Lines themselves are roughly 10–15cm deep, meaning they are safe from being stripped away by natural processes.

Can You See The Nazca Lines From Space?

Yes, the Nazca Lines can be seen from space and are commonly sighted by probes such as the IKONOS satellite and ESA’s Proba spacecrafts. This is due to the high contrast of the red surface of the desert, which has a strong contrast against the lighter layers beneath which have been carved out to make the geoglyphs. The massive long lines and creations such as the Spider are the most regularly spotted of the Nazca Lines from space.

Why Are The Nazca Lines So Mysterious?

Perhaps the most mysterious fact about the Nazca Lines is how they were made with such precision. Given the Nazca culture had no ability to fly, the fact that they were able to create such perfect designs that can only be seen from the sky is outstanding. This has given rise to many popular theories, such as that the Nazca were helped by extraterrestrials to create these geoglyphs.

Overview Of The Nazca Lines In Peru

And that’s all for this guide on the mysterious Nazca Lines.

Throughout Peru we can enjoy many fascinating ancient ruins, such as those of Machu Picchu, Sacsayhuamán and Caral ruins. However the Nazca Lines are arguably one of the most interesting - both for the variety of animal and deity-inspired geoglyphs that can be spotted when flying from above in a chartered flight, but also as their true creation purpose is still unknown to this present day.

Are you planning a trip to Peru and want to visit the Nazca Lines? Here at The Luxury Peru Travel Company, we have decades of experience crafting perfect Peru vacations. Get in touch with us now, and let us create your dream trip around Peru and its most unforgettable destinations.