Search flights to Ica

Ica, where the Peru's Creole art was born, attracts attention thanks to its deserts, dune areas, sand dunes and valleys. Ica that had been dominated for centuries by great Inca civilizations such as Chincha, Nazca and Paracas was founded by the Spanish Jerónimo de Cabrera in the year 1536. After the foundation of Ica, whose first name in the history was "Villa de Valverde", the Spanish came here from the Canary Islands and started the traditions of wine and pisco. Ica got the title of "Nueva Castilla" later and it became the first city where wine and grape liqueur production was made. Ica includes 4 different locations such as Pacca, Nazca, Chincha and Palpa within its borders, and one of the most interesting tourist attraction places in Ica is the dunes of Huacachina, which is 10 minutes far from the city center. On Huacachina dunes, which are surrounded by a small lagoon and located about 5 km southwest of Ica city center, you can participate in buggies and sand boarding activities. You can take part in the tours organized daily by most of the hotels and hostels in Huacachina for around 15 dollars.

If you travel to the city of Ica surrounded by sand dunes and huarangos, in other words carob trees, the first place you should visit is Nazca Lines and Paracas National Reserve, whose name is also on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins Regional Museum is hosting a large collection of archaeological sites reflecting Nazca, Paracas and Inca cultures, and you can visit this museum at following days and hours; from monday to friday between 08.00 and 19.00, on Saturdays and holidays between 09.00 and 18.00, on Sundays between 09:00 and 13:30. The Marquis of Torre Hermosa House is located in the main square of the city, where you can see the reflections of the Rococo style architecture. The Marquis of Torre Hermosa House, which is also known as Casa Bolívar, was also used as a royal residence in early times. Iglesia de Luren, located in the intersection of the streets named Piura and Ayacucho, and the village of Cachiche, located about 4 km from Ica, are definitely worth seeing. You should definitely visit the archaeological sites of the Cachiche, which have traces of Afro-Peruvian culture, and also the statue of the witch sculpture on the huarango tree.

You can have the opportunity to taste the Ica piscos (grape liquor) and delicious wines in the winery and pisco cellars where you have to spend at least one day to visit all. You can also shop at the wine shops located in La Caravedo, Vista Alegre, Tacama, Ocucaje and Guadalupe suburbs. You can visit Tacama Vineyard located about 7 km northeast of Ica on Monday to Sunday between 09.00 and 17.00; Bodega Vista Alegre located about 3 km northeast of the city on Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 16:00, and on weekends between 09:00 and 17:00; Bodega Ocucaje located about 34 km southwest of Ica on Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 12:00 / 14:00 and 17:00. La Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival), which is organized in Ica city on March 6-15 every year, can be an amazing opportunity to experience the Afro-Peruvian culture. A beauty contest called the Queen of the Wine Festival is also held at the festival, which also includes dance and music shows.

You can taste the dishes peculiar to the Peruvian cuisine at the many of the cafés and restaurants surrounding the main square of the city. La Olla de Juanita that is located about 10 minutes away from the city center, and Huacachina that is located about 20 minutes away are among the most popular eating & drinking places in Ica. In order to experience the Ica nightlife, you can choose the entertainment venues in Huacachina (the most famous one is the Arenas within the Casa de Arena Hostel). Ica is sunny throughout the year and has generally the impact of a mild climate. The most appropriate period to travel to Ica is between May and November, when temperatures are at most 24 degrees Celsius. From December to April, the thermometers are between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius. You can reach Ica city in 2-3 hours from Nazca and in 4 hours from Lima, the capital city of Peru. You can also travel to Ica from Lima, Cusco, Arequipa, Nazca and Paracas by public buses, which departs from Cruz del Sur and Soyuz.