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| ICA |
| *Location,
Altitude, Area and Population
*Brief Historical Outline
*Tourist Attractions
*Climate, Weather and Seasonal Information
*Routes and Means of Access
*Platos Típicos
*Calendar of Festivities and Tourist Events
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| ALTITUDE,
AREA AND POPULATION |
The
Department of Ica is situated on the southern coast of Peru. It is
bounded in the north by the Department of Lima, on the south by Arequipa,
on the east by Huancavelica and Ayacucho, and on the west by the Pacific
Ocean. It has an area of 21,259 km2 and a population of 110,000 inhabitants.
The Departmental Capital is the City of Ica -303 km. southeast of
Lima- a small city situated inland from the arid coast and surrounded
by beautiful valleys and vineyards. The region is generally renowned
for its production of fine quality wines and Pisco spirits.
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| HISTORICAL
OUTLINE |
Ica
is an area of great historical antiquity and has been inhabited for
at least 10,000 years. Important civilizations and cultures developed
there, such as the Nasca, Nasca-Wari, Paracas and Chincha. Of these,
the Nasca and Paracas are recognized as exponents of high culture,
particularly in their artistic expressions. The Paracas Culture (between
800 and 200 B.C.) stands out conspicuously, not only for its artistic
achievements, especially textiles, but also for advances in medicine,
particularly in surgery such as skull trepanation. This culture is
also famous for having practiced mummification of the dead and vast
cemeteries of Paracas mummies have been unearthed in the area known
as the Paracas peninsula Further south, the neighboring Nasca culture,
in turn, stands out prominently for the fine quality of its ceramics,
as well as the mysterious monumental lines and figures drawn upon
the flat desert land, which can only be properly viewed and ascertained
from the air. The Nascas also left for posterity a network of stone
lined aqueducts running under the desert which carried water from
the far away mountains, as well as wells and cisterns –all representing
good examples of very sophisticated knowledge of hydraulic engineering-
with which to obtain and distribute water from the water tables underlying
the desert environment. This allowed for a fairly efficient system
of irrigation, agriculture and sustainable living conditions amidst
a harsh and arid environment. During the XVI century, the valleys
of Ica, Nasca and Chincha were conquered by the Incas under their
ruler Pachacutec. Almost 100 years later the arrival of the Spanish
conquistadors took place, signaling the end of Inca rule. In 1563,
the Spanish Captain Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera founded the city
of Ica –at that time named “la Villa de Valverde del Valle
de Ica”. From that time onward, the region became an important
wine and cotton producing area. During the Wars of Independence from
Spain, General José de San Martín, the original liberator
of Peru, landed with his army in Paracas (where, inspired by the sight
of the numerous flamingoes in the area, he also created the red-and-white
flag of the future Republic of Peru) and established his headquarters
in the port of Pisco, from where he began his final march upon the
city of Lima to oust the Spanish. In present times, Ica is a very
hospitable city which serves as an excellent staging point from where
to visit some of the most beautiful beaches in the southern Peruvian
coast, as well as the Nasca lines and, along with it all, to make
the rounds among the numerous vineyards and wineries to taste the
excellence of the local wines and Piscos.
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| TOURÍST
ATTRACTIONS |
| IN-TOWN
ATTRACTIONS |
The
Sanctuary of the Señor de Luren. This sanctuary
is located on the 10th block of Calle Ayacucho. The Señor
de Luren is the Patron of the city; his venerated image is paraded
in the Holy Week procession and on the third week of October.
Museo Nacional María Reicher– the
Maria Reicher National Museum. Located on the 8th block of Ayabaca
Avenue, this museum is named in honor of the great scholar Maria
Reiche, of German origin, who made Peru her home, and the research
and study of the Nasca lines –as well as their preservation-
her lifetime commitment and cause. The Museum exhibits valuable
archaeological pieces belonging to the Paracas, Nasca, Wari, Ica
and Inca cultures, along with paintings, woodwork and art dating
from the Viceregal and early Republican periods.
Museo
Cabrera– The Cabrera Museum. Located on Calle Bolivar
170, plaza de Armas (Main Square). Exhibits valuable specimens of
carved rocks, engraved with scenes of primitive life and pre-Inca
times.
Casona del Marqués de Torre Hermosa – Manorial Home
of the Marquis of Torre Hermosa. Situated on the southern end of
the Plaza de Armas, on the first block of Calle Libertad. Particularly
noteworthy is its fine and artistic doorway and façade, which
represents one of the few examples of colonial architecture in town
to have survived the passage of time and the earthquakes.
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TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS OUTSIDE OF TOWN |
Huaca
Guadalupe. Is located in the district of Salas, 1 km. from
the village of Guadalupe and the Panamerican Highway (Panamericana
sur) and a few minutes by car from Ica. Excavations carried out
in this ancient ceremonial center have yielded a series of structures
and access ramps corresponding to successive layers of occupation
by the Ica and Inca cultures from the XII century until de XVI century.
Likewise, remains of murals and frescoes with birdlike designs in
yellow, red and black colors painted on the adobe walls have come
to light.
Bosque
de Pïedra los Frailes -The Los frailes “Rock
Forest”. Five kilometers outside Ica, this site consists of
a wide array of rock formations shaped in many curious and odd contours
by the erosion resulting from the constant blowing of the southerly
winds.
Laguna
de Huacachina – Huacachina Lake. Barely 5 km. from
the center of town, this beautiful site can only be described as
“the perfect oasis”. The lake lies surrounded by palm
trees and desert dunes and presents a unique landscape. The lake
waters are famed for their curative and healing properties, particularly
effective for skin ailments.
La
Achirana del Inca – The Inca Aqueduct. Is located
18 km. northeast of the city of Ica and 15 minutes away by car.
This irrigation channel was built in the Inca period, during the
rule of the Inca Pachacutec and is over 500 years old.
Paredones.
Situated 2 km. from Nasca, on km 1 of the Nasca-Puquio road. This
site is catalogued as an Inca administrative center. It is composed
of numerous quarters and residential sectors, terraces, patios with
flagged stone groundwork and adobe walls. The entire complex is
constructed upon earlier preexisting foundations of a Nasca structure.
The
Nasca Lines. At a distance of 145 kilometers south of Ica,
lies one of the most famous and renowned (as well as intriguing)
archaeological sites in the world, the Nasca lines. The location
consists of a wide expanse of desert plain, covering an area of
approximately 500 km2, upon the surface of which are “drawn”
a multitude of lines and figures of generally large dimensions that
vary between 15 to 300 meters in size. The figures are mostly of
zoomorphic character, representing figures such as a spider, a monkey,
dog, lizard, hummingbird, condor (to mention just a few). The lines,
some of which are several kilometers long and several meters wide,
seem to cross in various directions but apparently there exists
some calendrical correlation with horizon and sunrise reference
points (as well as heliacal risings of stars and constellations)
associated with a prominent range of hills situated in the distance
toward the east. No conclusive opinion has yet been reached. The
method employed for the so called “drawing” of these
lines and figures consisted in removing the uppermost hardened darker
layer of crusted sand, exposing the softer and whiter silica core
lying a few centimeters below. Yet another very remarkable feature
–as well as a most crucial one- of this unique archaeological
site is the fact that the entire vast array and gallery of lines
and figures was not discovered until the year 1927, when the first
airplane flight over the area took place. Indeed, the figures and
lines can only be perceived and appreciated in their full dimension
and context when they are viewed from the air. Overflight tours
are a standard service available for tourists.
Reserva
Nacional de Paracas – The Paracas National Wildlife
Reserve. Situated 70 km northwest of Ica and 250 km. south of Lima,
within the province of Pisco lies the craggy windswept desert peninsula
of Paracas. The Wildlife Reserve that contains virtually all of
it was created with the primary intention of preserving and protecting
a number of species of birds and amphibious mammals already considered
as endangered species. The list is long, but prominent among them
are: sea otters, sea lions and seals, walrus, various penguins particularly
the Humboldt penguin, the Flamingo, a diversity of turtles and Tortoises,
an enormous quantity of species of sea birds, and an infinity of
fishes as well as porpoises, dolphins and even whales. Boat tours
to the offshore islands known as Islas Ballestas –as well
as inlets and coves- where the great rookeries, mating and breeding
grounds and habitats, are available as a tourist service. These
bases out of the Paracas Beach resort. Likewise included within
this Reserve are the remains of the cemeteries and Necropolis of
the Paracas culture. A Site Museum is open for visit. (See below).
El
Candelabro – The Candelabra. A large (74 mt X 128
mt) trident-design figure drawn in a bas relief technique akin to
the Nasca figures. It is however, fully visible from the sea side
as it is drawn upon a perpendicular cliff facing the Pacific Ocean.
La
Catedral- The Cathedral. Located 25 km. southeast of the
port of Pisco, opposite the Candelabro between the beaches of Yumaque
and Supay, it consists of a very impressive rock formation which
has been pierced and tunneled by the ocean current. Within it can
be found sea otters, seals, sea lions and numerous species of birds.
The
Julio C. Tello Museum. Named in honor of the discoverer
of the Paracas Culture and its remains, Peru’s foremost archaeologist,
Prof. Julio C. Tello, this Site Museum is located 5 km. away from
the Paracas beach resort. It exhibits the range and span of the
Paracas culture through an array of ceramics, textiles and representative
montages of the everyday life of these people. A short distance
from lies one of the great cemeteries, the Necropolis of the Longheads.
The
Aqueducts. These are ascribed to the Nasca Culture (whose
hydraulic engineering skills were mentioned above) and dated back
to 550 AD they are located in the valleys of Nasca, Taruga and Las
trancas. They consist of extremely well built underground water
conduits with side walls of dressed and coursed stone work, upper
ceiling and covering of finely cut and dressed granite ashlars,
braced and supported by dense logs of guarango trees. These galleries
perform the double task of carrying the water over considerable
distances, as well as filtering and purifying it. The underground
aqueducts are several kilometers long and some are placed at a depth
of as much as 12 meters below ground level.
Cementerio
de Chauchilla – The Chauchilla Cemetery. Located
20 km. from Nasca. A burial ground looted by grave robbers, exhibiting
open graves, numerous artifacts and human remains such as skeletons
and skulls.
Chincha. Located at km. 202 of the Panamerican Highway south of
Lima. This area was once a major pre conquest as well as pre Inca
urban nucleus and center of activity, as the abundance of remains
of Huacas, or ceremonial constructions and pyramids clearly indicates.
Among these the Huaca La Centinela stands out markedly due to its
large dimensions. The final or last of the regional cultures which
resulted from the Paracas-Nasca-Ica sequence, was called Chincha.
And this quarter or subdivision of the Inca Empire was known as
the “Chinchaysuyo”, thus attesting to its wealth and
importance. After the Spanish conquest, it became an area characterized
by major slave-holding cotton plantations and after emancipation
of the Black slaves; the majority remained as free citizens dwelling
in the same region. To this day, it is considered as the principal
center of diffusion of Afro-Peruvian music and culture in the country.
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| OTHER
SITE AND FEATURES OF INTEREST |
The
Vista Alegre Wineries (Bodegas Vista Alegre). Located 3
kilometers northeast of Ica. This Winery was established in 1857
by the Picasso brothers. It is one of the largest wineries in Peru,
famed for its production of top quality wines and fine Pisco (grape
brandy).
Hacienda
Vitivinícola Tacama – The Tacama Vinyards
Is located 8 km. northeast of Ica in the district of La Tinguiña.
It produces fine wine bearing the same name in Label and has won
international awards.
Bodegas Artesanales – Local Wineries also produce fine quality
wines and spirits using traditional methods of pressing and distillation.
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| CLIMATE,
WEATHER AND SEASONAL INFORMATION |
The
climate and weather are warm and dry all tear round, with maximum
temperatures of 30°C and lows of 8°C Up |
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| ROUTES
AND MEANS OF ACCESS |
Overland
from:
Lima, via the Panamerican Highway (Panamericana Sur); upon
reaching the San Clemente turnoff, the route continues on to Pisco
and from there parallels the seacoast to Paracas.
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| TYPICAL
AND LOCAL CUISINE |
Ica
is characterized for its exquisite gastronomy and the local varieties
of it: To Chincha one is indebted for the creation of dishes like
Carapulcra (a stew of dry potato, peanuts and pork), or the Sopa Seca
(“Dry Soup”), which is a different version of the preceding.
The city of Ica, in turn, has bequeathed to us Frejoles and Chupe
de Pallares Verdes (Frejoles and Stew of Green Lima Beans), prepared
on the basis of milk soup, fish, Chinese shrimp and, of course, green
lima beans. Among its better known desserts and sweets we have Tejas
(“Shingles”) which are candied almonds, Frejol Colado
(A thick spread or butter made from Frejol beans) and Alcayote honey.
And for the thirst, there are, of course, the great varieties of local
wines and, according to the season, the opportunity of sampling a
good Cachina (the juice from freshly fermented grapes) should not
be passed up.
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| CALENDAR
OS FESTIVITIES AND TOURIST EVENTS |
March:
Fiesta de la Vendimia (Grape harvest celebration). Propitiatory
Festivities and diverse pageants in connection with the grape harvest
and a good vintage. Parades with allegorical floats representing
viticultural motifs and other regional commercial products, handicrafts,
industries, etc. Caballo de Paso (Peruvian Paso horse) contests,
Cock Fights and much dancing and drinking. Concerts and performances
by national and foreign artists.
Semana
Santa (Holy Week) Observances: The Churches open to receive
the faithful who gather to practice seclusion and penitence for
the Calvary of Christ. The image of the Señor de Luren is
paraded in procession through the totally darkened city.
June 10th to 20th: The Jubilee week of Ica, celebrating
another anniversary of its founding.
Second Fortnight of July: Tourist Week of Nasca, with folk art and
handicrafts fairs, industrial commercial and agricultural, farming
and livestock markets and exhibitions. Cock fights, horse riding
contests. Beauty pageants.
August
15th: Festival of the Orange Fruit in Palpa
September
1st to 12th: Festivity of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Patroness
Saint of Nasca. Processions, Verbenas (nighttime partying and singing),
Firework displays. Handicraft Fairs.
First
Week of December: Commemoration of the landing of the Liberating
Expedition led by Argentine General José de San Martín.
Held in the seaport town of Pisco, celebrated with various festivities.
October
6th to 20th: Festivity of the Señor de Luren. A
religious festivity that begins on the first Thursday of the month,
reaching its conclusion with the procession on the third Monday
of the month.
Last
Week of October: Tourist Week in Chincha. The founding
of the city is commemorated and celebrated with handicraft fairs,
pageants, contests and artistic performances.
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