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Plan language: FrançaisAttractions les plus populaires à Nazca, Peru
If you are searching for things to do in Nazca, Peru, you have come to the right place. Begin at the viewing towers for a bird's-eye look at the massive geoglyphs. Then explore the Cantalloc Aqueducts, a pre-Inca system of 45 spiral channels still carrying water today. End your day at the Nazca Planetarium for nightly astronomy shows tying the desert art to the stars.
1. Maria Reiche Museum
Step into the humble desert home of the mathematician who dedicated her life to the Nazca Lines. See her tire sandals, handmade tools, and the tower she climbed each morning to protect ancient drawings from destruction.
Faits rapides: Maria Reiche spent 50 years of her life protecting and studying the Nazca Lines, walking the desert in sandals made from old tires. She lived in a modest room in a local hotel and ate the same simple meal of bread and cheese for decades, dedicating everything to preserving these ancient geoglyphs.
Points forts: Visitors can stand in Maria Reiche's actual bedroom, preserved exactly as she left it with her books, maps, and a pair of her tire sandals still by the bed. The museum sits inside the house she eventually built with her own savings, where she would climb her homemade observation tower barefoot at dawn to sweep the desert floor with a broom.
2. Cantalloc Aqueducts
Walk alongside 1,500-year-old spiral irrigation channels that still quench the desert farmland today. Peer into stone-lined openings and trace how ancient engineers moved water through the arid landscape without losing a drop to evaporation.
Faits rapides: These ancient spiral-shaped aqueducts have been channeling groundwater through Peru's dry coastal desert for over 1,500 years. More than 30 of the original 46 stone and mud canals still function today, supplying water to cotton fields and vineyards just as they did in pre-Inca times.
Points forts: Look down into one of the 30-plus spiral openings and you'll see clear water rushing 10 meters below the surface through tunnels carved with simple stone tools. Each aqueduct uses the ancient Nazca people's understanding of underground filtration systems, naturally cleaning the water as it passes through layers of volcanic rock and sand.
3. Chauchilla Cemetery
Nowhere else can you stand face-to-face with thousand-year-old mummies still sitting in their original open-air tombs. Ancient bones, hair, and textiles lie completely exposed under the blazing desert sun, creating an unforgettable encounter with Peru's pre-Inca past.
Faits rapides: The desert air has perfectly preserved over 100 ancient mummies here, some still wearing their original cotton clothing and braided hair from 1,000 years ago. These aren't Egypt-style wrapped mummies: they're seated in fetal positions with their knees drawn up, facing the sunrise just as their Wari and Ica-Nazca cultures dictated.
Points forts: You'll see mummies with their long black hair intact, skin stretched across bones, and toothy grins exposed to the open sky through roofless tombs. Unlike museum displays behind glass, you can walk right up to these ancient remains and see the careful burial goods placed beside them: ceramic pots, food offerings, and woven textiles that have survived a millennium.
4. Nazca Planetarium
Connect the dots between ancient astronomy and giant desert drawings in one immersive show. You will watch the Nazca sky come alive on a dome above you while learning what the lines really meant.
Faits rapides: Le planétarium se trouve juste à côté de la célèbre tour d'observation des lignes de Nazca, ce qui permet de combiner facilement les deux expériences en un seul voyage. Son dôme propose des projections quotidiennes qui expliquent comment les anciens Nazcas observaient les étoiles et pourquoi ils ont créé ces immenses dessins dans le désert.
Points forts: Les projections utilisent un système numérique à 360 degrés qui reconstruit le ciel nocturne exactement comme le voyaient les Nazcas il y a plus de 1 500 ans. Vous pouvez voir les constellations qu'ils ont nommées et comprendre comment les motifs célestes ont directement inspiré les formes d'araignées, de singes et d'autres géoglyphes gravés dans le sol du désert.
5. Plaza de Armas de Nazca
A lively central square where Nazca locals actually live their daily lives, not just a tourist photo op. Watch kids chase pigeons between fountain sprays while vendors hawk ceviche and tamales from shaded corners.
Faits rapides: La fontaine centrale présente une sculpture de sirène en bronze que les habitants ont surnommée « La Sirena », ajoutée lors d'une rénovation dans les années 1960. Des ficus majestueux ombragent la place, leurs racines massives formant des bancs naturels où les vendeurs proposent du choclo con queso (maïs avec fromage) chaque après-midi.
Points forts: Contrairement à la plupart des places principales du Pérou, cette place n'a ni cathédrale ni église coloniale pour ancrer son périmètre, ce qui lui confère une atmosphère inhabituellement ouverte et aérée. Après la tombée de la nuit, la fontaine s'illumine de couleurs changeantes tandis que les familles locales se rassemblent pour des cours gratuits de danse en marinera et huayno chaque vendredi soir.
6. Cahuachi Pyramids
Step into one of the world's oldest and largest ceremonial centers, where adobe pyramids rise from the stark Nazca desert. Walk among 40 unexcavated mounds and stand atop the Great Pyramid, feeling the ancient spiritual energy of pre-Inca pilgrims.
Faits rapides: Covering over 24 square kilometers, this ceremonial center features the largest adobe pyramid in the world by volume. More than 40 mounds rise from the desert floor, yet only a fraction of this sprawling complex has been excavated by archaeologists.
Points forts: Unlike the famous Nazca Lines etched into nearby hillsides, these pyramids were built entirely from thousands of conical adobe bricks made from hand-packed river mud. The site was a pilgrimage destination where ancient shamans led ceremonies involving chanting, dancing, and the consumption of San Pedro cactus under the blazing desert sun.
7. Cerro Blanco Sand Dune
Ride or slide down one of the tallest sand dunes on the planet. Feel the rush as you carve across pure golden sand at full speed.
Faits rapides: Standing 1,178 meters tall, this is one of the highest sand dunes in the world, soaring above the desert near Nazca. Sandboarders and dune buggies race down its steep face at speeds over 50 miles per hour.
Points forts: Unlike most dunes that migrate with the wind, this massive peak stays remarkably stable thanks to a natural moisture layer deep within its sand. Climbing to the top feels like summiting a mountain made of golden powder, with the entire Nazca desert sprawling below like a wrinkled brown carpet.
8. Paredones Ruins
Climb a thousand-year-old pyramid where priests once tracked the sun and stars. Run your fingers along original adobe walls while condors circle overhead in the silent desert.
Faits rapides: These ancient ceremonial ruins sprawl across nearly 20 square kilometers, with walls made from clay and large rocks that have survived centuries of desert winds. Archaeologists have identified over 40 distinct structures here, including a pyramid-like platform that aligns with the winter solstice.
Points forts: Unlike Nazca's famous lines that you can only see from above, you can actually walk through these ruins and touch the original adobe walls that still show finger marks from the hands that built them. The site contains a rare pre-Inca aqueduct system called puquios, where spiral-shaped openings in the ground let you hear water rushing below your feet through underground channels built over 1,500 years ago.
Where to Stay in Nazca, Peru
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Plats sucrés traditionnels
Mazamorra Morada
This purple corn pudding gets its striking color from a special variety of corn found only in the Andes and is thickened with chuño, a freeze-dried potato starch used since Inca times.
Arroz con Leche
Peruvian arroz con leche is distinct from other versions because it is infused with cinnamon and clove and often topped with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon in decorative patterns.
Picarones
These ring-shaped sweet fritters are made from a mix of squash and sweet potato, a recipe that dates back to the colonial era when African, Spanish, and indigenous flavors merged.
Plats salés traditionnels
Ceviche Nazqueño
Nazca's version of ceviche uses fresh ocean fish marinated in citrus and is often served with cancha (toasted corn) and camote (sweet potato), reflecting the region's ancient agricultural heritage.
Pachamanca
This ancestral earth-oven cooking method involves burying marinated meats, potatoes, and herbs under hot stones for hours, a tradition that has been practiced in the Nazca region for over 2,000 years.
Cuy Chactado
Guinea pig is a traditional protein in the Nazca highlands, and cuy chactado is prepared by flattening and frying the meat with herbs until crispy and golden brown.
Boissons traditionnelles
Chicha Morada
This non-alcoholic drink is made from boiled purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon, and clove, and has been enjoyed in Peru since pre-Columbian times, including by the ancient Nazca civilization.
Chicha de Jora
This fermented corn beer was considered a sacred beverage by the Nazca people and was used in religious ceremonies, often consumed from elaborate ceramic vessels decorated with geometric motifs.
Emoliente
This warm, herbal street drink is made from flaxseed, barley, and medicinal herbs like horsetail and boldo, and is sold by vendors in Nazca as a traditional remedy for digestion and overall wellness.
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Excursions d'une journée les plus populaires
Chauchilla Cemetery
Ancient Nazca burial site with well-preserved mummies
Cantalloc Aqueducts
Remarkable pre-Columbian aqueduct system still in use
Reserva Nacional San Fernando
Coastal reserve with penguins, sea lions, and dolphins
Comment y arriver
Aéroports
Gares
Occidental Railway (limited tourist service from Lima)
Most travelers reach Nazca by bus from Lima (7 hours) or Cusco (10 hours). The main bus terminal is a short taxi ride from the city center.
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Commentaires (5)
Food was way better than expected. Try the cuy chactado at La Encantada. Super crispy and not tourist priced at all.
Do yourself a favor and book your flight with the pilot directly at the airfield. Saved 40% compared to what hotels quoted us.
Just got back from Nazca and honestly the lines for the small planes were brutal. 40 min wait in the sun. Worth it but go early like 7am.
Skip the overpriced combo tour packages. Just do the overflight and the Mirador tower separately. The astronomy show was a waste of money.
The Nazca Lines themselves are incredible from the air but the town itself felt kinda dead. Not much to do after 5pm besides eat and sleep.