Nazca lines

Created by the Nazca culture 2,000 years ago, the Nazca lines, engraved in the ground on a vast coastal plain, can be grouped into straight lines, geometric designs and pictorial representations.

Out of over 800 straight lines, some are of up to 30 miles long. Over 300 geometric designs include triangles, rectangles, trapezoids, spirals and zig-zags.

Representations of about 70 animals and plants, some of which measure up to 1,200 feet; include a spider, hummingbird, cactus, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard and dog.

Nazca has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and even without that seal, it is one of the more impressive places to visit on a cultural trip to Peru.

What if you don’t make it to Nazca ? Consider this Lascaux-like red sheep slope near Arequipa. Although not quite as elaborate as Nazca, it is live, contemporary and spectacular. Who knows how many other similarly simple, defying landscapes you can see “just like this” on the amazing South American continent.