Ica is known as an area of sand, sea, oases and valleys, the cradle
of Peru's Creole culture, saints and medicine men, where the best pisco
brandy is distilled and where religious fervor is strong in the worship
of the Señor de Luren or the Yauca shrine. The sandy wastes of this area
gave rise to major pre-Colombian civilizations, leaving traces that have
survived the ravages of time and wind erosion.
The desert of Ica was inhabited by great pre- Inca civilizations as
Chincha, Nazca and Paracas Culture.
Ica is the name of the department, and has 4 provinces: Ica, Pisco,
Nazca, Chincha and Palpa. Ica city was founded in 1536 by the Spaniard
Jerónimo de Cabrera. He gave Ica the name of "Villa de Valverde". The
city was in the middle of a fertile valley. Before its foundation, the
Spaniards planted grapes brought from Canary Islands (Spain).
Ica was the first city in "Nueva Castilla" (Peru in the Viceroyalty
times) where wine and grape liquor were produced, and from this point
they were exported to all the Spanish colonies in America. They used the
port of Pisco to embark the grape liquor, giving origin to the name of
one of the most famous liquors prepared in Peru, Pisco.
The road from Lima to Ica provides the traveler with a variety of
attractions. First stop along the way is Chincha, a balmy valley that
combines festivals and tradition and which is the heart of a culture
forged by the descendants of African slaves brought to work the cotton
plantations. The next point is the Paracas National Reserve, the only
protected area in Peru that includes a marine eco-system. From the pier
at Paracas one can take boat rides out to the Ballestas islands, where
one can spot sea lions, Humboldt penguins, flamingos and sea birds.
Nowadays the Ica city continues being a very pleasant one, among sand
deserts and huarangos (variety of tree) and with a wonderful weather.
Ica is recommended as an initial point before visiting the Nazca Lines
and the Paracas National Reserve.
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