NAZCA AND ITS MYSTERIOUS LINES

In the middle of the coastal desert at a distance of 450 Km. / 291 miles South of Lima, Nazca was founded by the Spaniards in 1591. It is most famous as the site of a collection of gigantic drawings and lines drawn into the desert over an area of around 52 square-miles, and best appreciated from the air. These drawings, representing animal figures such as a spider, a monkey, a bird and geometrical figures, are thought to be an enormous calendar. They are believed to have been made between 500 years BC and 1300 AD by the people who inhabited this oasis of the Peruvian coast. However, the surrounding area has many other historic sites, such as the extensive underground canal system dating from the pre-Inca period, the Carhuachi ruins of a Nazca culture ceremonial centre, and the Vicuña National Reserve of Pampa Galeras (4,330 meter/13,200 ft above sea level), two hours away by bus or car over a scenic highway up in the steppes (puna) of the Andes.
Altitude: 620 metres / 1890 feet above sea level.
Population: 30,000 approximately
Climate: Sunny and warm all year round. Almost no rain