Touring Ballestas Islands in Paracas National Park in Peru

Now You Can Easily Tour Ica & Nazca en route from Lima to Cusco or Arequipa

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Humboldt penguins on the Ballestas Islands in Paracas

Seal on the Ballestas Islands in Paracas National Park

Sand buggy near Huacachina Oasis, Nazca, Peru

Sandboarding White Hill sand dune near Ica, Peru

Sandboarding near Huacachina Oasis, near Nazca

Plan on flying over the Nazca Lines, watching the penguins of the Ballestas Islands, or sandboarding along the giant dunes surrounding Huacachina Oasis? The new Pisco airport is already being amplified, giving travelers the option of doing in hours what used to take days....

The presence of the Pisco airport this past two years has been revolutionary. Travelers now have the option of doing in an hour or two what used to take two days: traveling to and from Nazca, and flying over the Nazca Lines while there. Currently, the Pisco airport is only being used for flying over the Nazca Lines and for air force practice flights, but a large renovation is underway to provide direct flights to Cusco or Arequipa as well.

Travelers who are in Pisco to visit the Ballestas Islands can fly directly to either of these cities or to Lima. Travelers in Lima who want to travel to Cusco or Arequipa without missing the Nazca Lines simply change to a smaller plane at the Pisco airport for a flyover of the Nazca Lines, then continue their route. The whole trip, with the tour included, takes only a few hours. Just two years ago, travelers took 12hr bus trips to arrive at Nazca, budgeting a couple of days of their trip for what is essentially a half-hour flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines.

Evans Avendaño, the executive director of the concessionaire Airports of Peru has "We want Pisco to be the gateway to the south and the point of departure for tourists to visit the Nazca Lines, the Ballestas Islands, and the other attractions of the zone."

Along with the new Chincha-Ica road that is currently under construction, and the new port, the Pisco airport is doing its part to open up the Department of Ica for travelers.

Ica is bordered by Lima to the north and Cusco to the south. It is mainly subtropical and desert coast. Now, you can enjoy its attractions with less effort and less time invested:

Tour the city of Ica, visiting its museums and pisco vineyards
Visit the Paracas National Reserve and watch the penguins of the Ballestas Islands
Sandboard along the giant dunes surrounding Huacachina Oasis
Fly over the Nazca Lines
Visit Chauchillas Cemetery
Tour the Aqueducts of Cantayoc
Sandboard down the massive White Hill sand dune
Tour the adobe city of Cahuachi and Usaca Oasis by sandbuggy, with a sandboarding stop

Plan on flying over the Nazca Lines, watching the penguins of the Ballestas Islands, or sandboarding along the giant dunes surrounding Huacachina Oasis? The new Pisco airport is already being amplified, giving travelers the option of doing in hours what used to take days....

The presence of the Pisco airport this past two years has been revolutionary. Travelers now have the option of doing in an hour or two what used to take two days: traveling to and from Nazca, and flying over the Nazca Lines while there. Currently, the Pisco airport is only being used for flying over the Nazca Lines and for air force practice flights, but a large renovation is underway to provide direct flights to Cusco or Arequipa as well.

Travelers who are in Pisco to visit the Ballestas Islands can fly directly to either of these cities or to Lima. Travelers in Lima who want to travel to Cusco or Arequipa without missing the Nazca Lines simply change to a smaller plane at the Pisco airport for a flyover of the Nazca Lines, then continue their route. The whole trip, with the tour included, takes only a few hours. Just two years ago, travelers took 12hr bus trips to arrive at Nazca, budgeting a couple of days of their trip for what is essentially a half-hour flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines.

Evans Avendaño, the executive director of the concessionaire Airports of Peru has "We want Pisco to be the gateway to the south and the point of departure for tourists to visit the Nazca Lines, the Ballestas Islands, and the other attractions of the zone."

Along with the new Chincha-Ica road that is currently under construction, and the new port, the Pisco airport is doing its part to open up the Department of Ica for travelers.

Ica is bordered by Lima to the north and Cusco to the south. It is mainly subtropical and desert coast. Now, you can enjoy its attractions with less effort and less time invested:

Tour the city of Ica, visiting its museums and pisco vineyards
Visit the Paracas National Reserve and watch the penguins of the Ballestas Islands
Sandboard along the giant dunes surrounding Huacachina Oasis
Fly over the Nazca Lines
Visit Chauchillas Cemetery
Tour the Aqueducts of Cantayoc
Sandboard down the massive White Hill sand dune
Tour the adobe city of Cahuachi and Usaca Oasis by sandbuggy, with a sandboarding stop

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Explore the latest from our Cusco travel blog. Get practical guides, Machu Picchu updates, and fresh trekking and culture recommendations. Everything you need to travel Cusco safely and stylishly in 2026. Your next Andean story starts here!

Folk dance troupes during the patronal festival of Doctor Pa

The festival starting Monday 28th that isn't touristy: San Jerónimo, 5 days

Just 11 kilometers from the Plaza de Armas, the historic district of San Jerónimo celebrates its patron saint every late September: 5 days of processions, 26+ dance troupes, a food fair, and a 16th-century church built on an Inca huaca. In 2016, it was declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation. Most tourists don't know it exists; many young locals don't either. This year it starts on Monday, September 28, with the main day on Wednesday 30.

1,500 young people in Sacsayhuamán competing as they did 500 years ago

Third Sunday of September. 9 a.m. The pututos sound and 1,500 students from the National School of Sciences of Cusco set off in procession from their school to the Sacsayhuamán esplanade. They are going to compete — for real — in speed, strength, and endurance tests that replicate those the Tahuantinsuyo used to determine who was ready for adulthood. It is not a choreography. It is the Warachicuy, and in 2025 it was declared a Cultural Interest.

48 km on foot: How to reach the Señor de Huanca in Cusco

Every September 14, thousands of people walk 48 kilometers from the city of Cusco to the sanctuary of the Señor de Huanca, in the district of San Salvador, province of Calca, at 3,100 m.a.s.l. It is neither a tourist trekking trip nor an organized tour: it is a genuine pilgrimage that sets off at night from San Jerónimo and arrives at dawn on the main day. Here we explain the route, what it physical demands, and why this tradition continues to draw devotees from all over Peru and neighboring countries.

Circuit	Ideal for...	Clasic photo	Difficulty
Circuit 1 (Panoramic)	High views and photo posts	Yes	Low
Circuit 2 (Andean)	Complete circuit through the ruins	Yes	Medium
Circuit 3 (Reality)	Persons or reduced movement	No	Very low

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Explore the breathtaking diversity of the Central Andes. From ancient archaeological wonders and surreal high-altitude landscapes to world-class gastronomy and Amazonian adventures, our updated 2026 guides showcase the very best of this premier global destination.