Located 200mi (325Km) from Lima and 435mi (701km) from Arequipa, the city of Ica is the heart of the Ica region, in the coastal desert. This is a region which is also home to Pisco, Nazca and Paracas. You will not only find the best pisco and wine being made here (the Spanish planted grapes originally from the Canary Islands), but Ica is also home to the Museo Regional, one of the finest museums in Peru.
Because of its continually sunny climate, it is also a thriving center of agriculture, growing crops such as grapes, cotton, asparagus, olives and more. Its unique liquor, Pisco, made from grapes, is a source of pride for all Peruvians. While riding in one of the dune buggies in this region, it may surprise you to see so much agriculture in the middle of this desert oasis. Several farms are laid out in the middle of the dune areas with irrigation brought in through an aquifer.
Here you will also find the Huacachina Oasis, the last of what once were four lagunas in the area. This is a bright spot for enjoying the water and relaxing at one of the nearby restaurants sipping the national drink, a Pisco Sour, the perfect respite during any vacation.
Drinking only bottled water is a good idea. There are two types of water you can buy: sin gas meaning un-carbonated, normal water, and con gas which is carbonated. Make sure to eat in good restaurants and buy fruits from quality supermarkets. If you buy fruit from a street market, take extra care to wash it very thoroughly before eating it. Important note: Peruvian tap water is not potable. It is fine to use for teeth-brushing and cooking (provided it is boiled) but should not be ingested directly from the tap.
Serving as a relaxing and beautiful resort area for families, Huacachina is a delightful oasis in the middle of the desert. Huacachina is a Quechua name which means The Crying Lady. According to the legend, long ago a princess was admiring herself in her mirror when she spotted a hunter watching her. Surprised by the distant admirer, she dropped the mirror, which shattered creating the lake. As she ran, her veil, dragging along the ground, created the dunes. To this day, people say they hear a woman crying and at least one person drowns each year, which is considered to be due to the princess taking a sacrifice so as not to be lonely. Surrounded on the shore by small restaurants and hotels and all around by the steep, sandy dunes, Huacachina is the ideal spot to spend an afternoon, finishing up the day as the sun sets in an adventurous dune buggy ride.
Calle Jr. Ayabaca, Block 8 s/n
Housing one of the largest collections of archaeological findings in Peru, this museum is a must see if passing through the area. Ceramics and other findings from the areas of Nazca and Paracas are found alongside mummies and medical artifacts, displaying a high practice of surgery in this area by ancient Peruvian cultures. You will also find several artifacts from the colonial, independence and early republican eras as well as a large scale model of the Nazca Lines behind the museum.
Famous for its namesake Pisco liquor, Ica is the perfect area to take a tour of the local bodegas and wineries. Among the most popular in the region, you can visit Vista Alegre, Tacama, Ocucaje as well as some of the smaller, more artisan style wineries. You will not only learn about the process of making these fine wines and liquor, you will also have a chance to taste the final result.
During the second week of March, this festival is a celebration of the wealth of grapes and wine in the region of Ica. The festival includes fairs, competitions, parades, music shows and parties where guests dance the Afro-Peruvian festejo. You will also find the Queen of the Wine Festival and her maidens tramping the grapes in a vat according to old tradition. As any festival in Peru is not complete without its special dishes and dessert, here you can try the tasty tejas, made from pecans or candied fruits, filled with caramel and covered with sugar icing, following it with a taste of the famous pisco straight or as the delicious pisco sour.