Peru Guide
The south coast
The coastal area south of Lima all the way to Chile clings tightly to over 1330km of desert road offering access to enough ancient remains, wildlife and unusual landscapes to tempt any traveller off the Panamerican Highway. With the discovery in 1901 and subsequent study of ancient sites throughout the coastal zone, it soon became apparent that, whilst exhibiting cultural influences similar to nearby highland areas (notably Chavin and Huari), this was home to at least three major pre-Inca cultures: the Paracas (500 BC–400 AD), the influential Nasca (500–800 AD) and latterly the Ica culture, shortly before the Incas took over.
South of Lima, the towns of Chincha,Pisco, Ica and Nasca dominate the coastal desert region. All five welcoming towns preserve important and intriguing sites from the three cultures, while the desert plains around Nasca are indelibly marked by gigantic, geometric animal and alien-looking figures that were scratched into the brown earth over a thousand years ago. Hidden in sand dunes just outside the city of Ica, the oasis resort ofHuacachina offers the unusual combination of a peaceful desert hang-out alongside sandboarding and dune buggies. A couple of hours drive south many people head daily to the most mysterious and famous of all archaeological sites, the Nasca Lines, a perplexing network of perfectly geometric shapes and giant figures etched over almost 500 square kilometres of bleak pampa.
This region also boasts three outstanding wildlife reserves – the rare vicuña reserve of Pampa Galeras, and the Ballestas Islands and Paracas National Reserve. One hour by car south of Nasca, meanwhile, in the middle of the desert, there's an amazing little museum at Sacaco giving background information on a fossilised whale skeleton which still sits in full view in the desert. Further south, Puerto Inca is a stunning but still relatively undeveloped beach resort, which was also the key coastal port for the nobles of Inca Cusco.
Getting around
The south Peruvian coast is served from Lima by several companies, including Cruz del Sur buses and Ormeño's Expreson Chinchano service (leaves Lima from Av Javier Prado Este 1059 
01/4721710, 
www.grupo-ormeno.com.pe ), both with depots on Javier Prado Este in San Isidro; most of these services continue on to Pisco, Nasca and Arequipa. A more frequent service from Lima to all towns as far south as Ica, is the Peru Bus Soyuz/Peru Bus, Av Mexico 333, La Victoria ( 4276310, $8–10); these buses leave every ten minutes during the day (every 30min by night) and can also be picked up at stops along the Panamericana Sur in Lima (eg where this highway is crossed by either Av Javier Prado Este or Av Benavides Este). Once in Ica, it can be fun to travel on to Nasca with one of the last Peruvian road routes still connected by large 1970s colectivo cars, mainly Dodge Coronets, allowing anyone who fancies doing this segment of the coast a trip – of three hours or so – through glorious desert scenery in relative style and comfort.
Highlights
1 Lunahuana Just a couple of hours' drive from Lima, this beautiful coastal valley is almost always sunny, and a focus for whitewater rafting, mountain biking as well as good local wines and piscos.
2 Ballestas Islands Within a morning's boat ride from the town of Pisco, these are guano islands covered in bird and mammalian marine life.
3 Paracas National Reserve A beautiful peninsula with stunning desert landscapes touching the Pacific ocean; both beaches and sea are a haven for wildlife, and there is a museum dedicated to the ancient Paracas culture.
4 Huacachina A magical oasis surrounded by some of the most arid sand dune desert landscapes in the Americas, Huacachina is both a leisure resort and a healing spa.
5 Nasca The world-famous Nasca Lines, including stylised geometric and animal figures, were etched, seemingly impossibly, into a massive desert pampa.
6 Puerto Inca An important port for the Incas 500 years ago, this small but secluded resort lies in an area of coast teeming with rare Inca remains as well as offering great access to beaches, coves, fishing and excellent diving.