If you travel through Peru, this natural phenomenon and historic World Heritage site is something you must see. We are talking here about the Nazca lines, special figures that you can only view from an airplane and of which it has not yet been possible to explain how these lines and figures came into existence.
Where can you find the Nazca Lines?
Nazca is a small village in Peru in the province of Ica, which is about 400 km from the capital Lima. The best way to reach this town is by bus, which takes between 6 and 8 hours from Lima. Nazca is located in the desert region of Peru and therefore has a predominantly dry and stable climate. It is precisely this type of climate that has contributed to the existence and preservation of the special Nazca lines.
What are the Nazca Lines?
The Nazca Lines are, as the name suggests, lines in the form of up to 300 different shapes and figures that are marked life-size in the desert ground. The figures can only be viewed from an airplane. In Nazca you can take a plane ride in a 6-seater plane to view a series of the figures. You’ll never be able to see them all in a single ride, as the total perimeter of all the figures together is 500 square kilometers! The animal figures are the most well-known figures, but plant figures and human figures can also be recognized. The map below shows a flight path over the Nazca area.
History and origins of the Nazca lines
The Nazca lines originated before the time of the Inca era, namely the Nazca era, which is estimated between 200 and 600 BC. The Nazca Lines have now been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. There are many theories about how these lines originated and also what the underlying reasons are for this origin.
When the people of Nazca created the figures, they chose an ideal landscape and climate that ensured that the lines would not easily disappear. The desert greenery in the Nazca area is covered with special layers of both clays and soils. When making the lines, layers of soil were removed until a line depth of up to 15 centimeters was created. However, in the years that followed, these lines were never affected by strong winds or sandstorms, which meant that no erosion occurred. The combination of the soil types, the climate and the way the Nazca Lines are constructed have ensured that these figures have been seen by people for centuries.