OPTIONAL EXTENSION TO THE
PARACAS PENINSULA AND NAZCA LINES

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DAY FIFTEEN (Saturday, June 9th):  Same as main tour, except instead of heading to the airport in the evening for the flight home, we will stay a second night at the Best Western Hacienda hotel in Miraflores.

 

DAY SIXTEEN (Sunday, June 10th):  (breakfast included)  After we leave our hotel in Miraflores,  our first stop will be the home/workshop of Nicario Jimenez, one of Peru's best folk artists (and longtime friend of our tour leaders).  Then we depart Lima via the south-bound Pan-American Highway.  Our second stop will be the archaeological site of Pachacamac, located just outside of Lima.  This was once the most important pilgrimage center in all of the Andes -- still in use when the Spanish arrived in Peru.  As we drive south we will stop for lunch (included) at Hacienda San Jose, a magnificient old estate in the Chincha Valley dating to the sixteenth century (see photo at left).  Then we continue on to the Ica Oasis (famous for Peruvian grapes) where we will be staying at the Ocucaje resort (an old hacienda -- dating to the 16th century -- that has recently been converted into a luxury resort).  Dinner (included) will be in the winecellars adjacent to our hotel (and includes wine tasting).

DAY SEVENTEEN (Monday, June 11th):  We will have an early breakfast (included) and then depart south to the town of Nazca, famous for the geoglyphs or desert markings that are found on the coastal plains.  We will fly over the lines using the Aerocondor flying service.  After lunch (included) at the Hotel Nazca, we will return to the Ica area, where we will visit the regional archaeological museum and then head back to the Hacienda Ocucaje in time for dinner (included).

DAY EIGHTEEN (Tuesday, June 12th):  After breakfast (included) we will drive north to the Pisco Valley, where we will drive inland to two very interesting Inca sites: Tambo Colorado (the only major Inca adobe site on the coast) and Huaytara, where an impressive Inca temple was converted into an early Spanish church.  Our lunch will be picnic style at one of these sites.  In the late afternoon, we will reach the Paracas Hotel, a resort located on a beautiful desert bay.  Our rooms face the ocean, and dinner tonight is included.

DAY NINETEEN (Wednesday, June 13th):  After breakfast (included) we travel by boat to visit the Islas Ballestas -- a marine reserve several miles off of the coast.  Although we will not be able to land on these small islands, our boat can approach to within a few feet.  We'll see sea lions and thousands of birds -- Boobies, Cormorants, and Humboldt Penguins.  On the return trip, we'll see the Candelabra, a large figure dug out of the north side of the Paracas Peninsula (construction date unknown).  After lunch (included) we will drive back to Lima.   Our destination will be the Lima airport, where we catch our flight back to the United States.

DAY TWENTY (Thursday, June 14th):  Arrive home.

PRICE:            approximately $950 beyond the cost of the regular tour (exact price to be determined by March 1, 2007) 

This includes the four day /four night extension south to Nazca and Paracas, private  bus for four days, hotels, boat trip to the Islas Ballestas, flight over Nazca Lines via Aerocondor, museum and site admissions, and all specified meals.  

PERUTOUR DESCRIPTION

ITINERARY

OPTIONAL COMMENTS