Peru is blessed with a rich cultural history that encompasses everything from the colossal presence of the Inca civilization to the rich colonial traditions of the Spaniards. In this land of Andean peaks shrouded in mist lies one of the world�s oldest mysteries, the Nasca Lines.

The Nasca Lines are geoglyphs and geometric line clearings in the Peruvian desert located in the province of Ica, 460 km south of Lima and two hours from Ica.

The desert itself runs for over 1,400 miles along the Pacific Ocean.

The area of the Nasca art is called the Pampa Colorada (Red Plain). It is 15 miles wide and runs some 37 miles parallel to the Andes and the sea.

The Nasca Lines were made by the Nasca people, who flourished between 200 BCE and 600 CE along rivers and streams that flow from the Andes.

Dark red surface stones were cleared away, exposing the lighter-colored subsoil, creating the lines.

From the air, the Nasca Lines which cover 50 square km of desert floor include not only lines and geometric shapes, but also depictions of animals i.e monkeys, humming birds, and fish and plants in stylized forms. Some of the forms, including images of humans, grace the steep hillsides at the edge of the desert.

The Nasca Lines, discovered in 1927, are the most extraordinary legacy left by the Nazca culture. The lines are a series of complex designs, some up to 1,640 feet (or 500 meters) long which can only be seen in their true dimension from the sky, from an altitude of at least 1,500 feet. The Nasca culture is not believed to have been capable of manned flight. But the question remains as to how they crafted the drawings, what technology they used and what purpose the lines served.

Like embroidery of the gods, the lines that decorate the desert floor were declared a Mankind Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994, and the ancient mystery of the figures still waits to be unraveled.

Flights and private car tours from Lima depart daily for Nasca and tour operators offer a variety of different travel packages to satisfy travelers� curiosities of this ancient enigma. For instance, there are one, two and three-day trips to Nasca that include round trip flights or private car service from Lima to Nasca, lunch, an over flight of the Nasca Lines, a guided tour of the city of Nasca, and hotel accommodations that can range from US$200 to US$500. Many tour operators also include a one day stop in Nasca and over flight of the Nazca Lines as part of tours to the Ballestas Islands in Paracas.

For more information about Peru, call 1-866-661-PERU (in the U.S.) or visit www.peru.info