Ica
is an important region historically to Peru. The fossil remains found in
this zone, corresponding to the tertiary age, confirm the antiquity of the
zone. The bony remains of the "Man of Paracas", the second horticulturist of
Peru (6,870 B.C.) were found in the Santo Domingo Pampa. The people of this
era lived in straw huts, fished, farmed and exchanged goods.
Between 1925-7 in the Paracas Peninsula, Julio C. Tello discovered the great
cemeteries known as Necrópolis. They were from a Pre-Columbian culture. The
ancient Paracas bodies were found mummified with fine colorful clothing that
was full of symbols.
Years later in Cahuachi the Nazca culture was developed. The ceramics
created during this time are considered to be the best in Pre-Columbian
American. The painters that depicted these pictures on pots' surfaces were
considered to be masters of their time and craft. And we can't forget the
world famous "Nazca Lines", which are figures of animals and objects
imprinted in the desert surface. To this day no one is sure how they got
there.
The Inca Empire's domination of Ica's territory began at the time of Inca
Pachacutec. During the conquest, Nicolás de Rivera el Viejo arrived to Ica
looking for a proper place to found a new city. The Ica Valley's Villa de
Valverde was founded on September 30, 1563 by the Spanish captain Jerónimo
Luis de Cabrera. Many years later, San Martín with its expedition team
landed in Pisco, thus beginning the Peru's independence from Spain. Colonel
Mariano Ignacio Prado created the Department of Ica in 1866.
Tourism
There are good beaches, diverse marine wildlife, interesting museums and
excellent hotel services to be found in Ica. One of the highlights is the
Paracas National Reserve, where live a number of animal colonies such as sea
lions and coastal birds reside. The "Nazca Lines" are a must see for any
tourist. These 32 drawings of marine and terrestrial animals, human and
geometric figures cover an area of more than 350 km. The city of Ica is well
known because of the wineries surrounding the city. Tourists can take day
tours of the different wineries and their production facilities and of
course, sample the finishing product.
Tours in Ica:
ICA 2 DAYS / 1 NIGHT
ICA 3 DAYS / 2 NIGHTS