The Nazca Lines Peru Tourism

Peru's great diversity extends from the Andes down to the Amazon, and the desert between the Andes to the Pacific Ocean. Two of the great secrets are Machu Picchu, hidden high in the Andes, and the Nazca Lines in the desert plains near the Pacific.

Machu Picchu is acclaimed as the pinnacle achievement of South America's pre-Columbian societies, yet it was hidden from Spanish exploration and exploitation over four centuries; only discovered in 1911 by an American scholar. Peru's physical beauty and diversity are challenging amateur archeologists and unprepared tourists. The high altitude of the Incan capital of Cusco, the brilliant azure water of Lake Titicaca, and the great canyons graced by giant condors with perhaps uncomfortable breathing moments due to its location at 3,800 - 4,800 meters above sea level.

However, they are all precious sites the visitors should see. Sailing the Amazon River and staying in a river side village can be more comfortable due to lower altitude levels. "A must See" We recommend visitors to see Machu Picchu when they visit Peru. Most take airplanes to Cusco, then ground transportation to Urubamba then to Ollantaytambo... from there you can take an ealry morning train from there to Aguas Calientes which sits within minutes of Machu Picchu.

Spending one full day is desirable in seeing the ruins. Machu Picchu means Old Peak in the Incan language. The ruins are located between the Old Peak and the New Peak where the Temple of the Moon is situated, closer to the New Peak and lower peak which is more scenic with other mountain peaks surrounding. The Incas hid Machu Picchu so high in the clouds that the empire-raiding Spaniards never found it. Following its discovery in 1911 by Yale historian Hiram Bingham, it has become one of the the most attractive sites of mystery and magic in South America. The majestic setting that the Incas chose was understandable for its temple constructions. It was a city for about 1,000 royal family members and their farming land.

The mysteries and secrets of the Nazca Lines remain unsolved. The word Nazca is associated all over the world with the huge geometrical figures that were scratched on the extensive plains of the coastal desert hundreds of years ago. Why they were made, by whom and how they were made leave modern men and women, scientists and laymen, puzzled. You can view from aircrafts above a 110 meter long monkey, 95 meter long hunningbird, 32 meter long Owlhead or alien man, 280 meter long flamingo, 200 meter long parrot, 63 meter long fishwhale, 51 meter long fox, sea shells and 46 meter long spiders.

The Nazca Lines were called by American scholar Paul Kosok as ``Incan Trails,'' but later this was rebuked and they were detailed as pre-Incan lines and figures. Most estimate the Nazca lines were created between 100 and 600 A.D. But some are dated between 300 B.C. and 800 A.D.

Why do the lines remain on the desert land? The answer is relatively simple: the form of the earth's surface in this area allows the entrance of prevailing winds from the South to the North, which prevent the accumulation of sand and other elements on the surface. The Nazca plains are located on a great depression between the foot of the Andes and a coastal chain of little elevation. The solid soil preserves the Nazca Lines.