In the wider Ica destination, Laguna de Huacachina is an oasis with emerald-green water, surrounded by desert, dunes, vegetation and a waterfront promenade. The lagoon is classified as an Área de Conservación Regional; palm trees and huarango trees shape the landscape. Visitors can ride pedal boats on the water, walk on the dunes and watch the sunset. The lagoon and dunes thus offer different experiences in this place.

For orientation, a tourism description dated July 10, 2024, gives the distance from Plaza de Armas de Ica to Laguna de Huacachina as 5 km on a paved road, taking about 15 minutes by private car.

Religious Heritage and Collections

The Santuario Del Señor De Luren dates back to the 16th century and houses the famous image of Señor de Luren, the patron saint of Ica. Religious activities associated with Señor de Luren take place in March during Semana Santa and in October during the Festividad del Señor de Luren. The festival was declared part of the Nation’s Cultural Heritage by Resolución Viceministerial N° 145-2015-VMPCIC-MC.

The Museo Regional Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins was founded on March 30, 1946, and preserves more than 30,000 cultural artifacts. Its museographic display presents the development of pre-Hispanic populations through ceramics and objects made of textiles, wood, bone and metal. The materials give the display a concrete framework and show the variety of objects on exhibit.

Architecture and Local Traditions

The Casona del Marques de Torre Hermosa is a preserved example of Ica’s viceregal architecture and features a stone Rococo portal. Since the building is used as a bank, it can only be viewed from the outside. Check before your visit whether this restriction still applies. The Iglesia de San Francisco de Asis dates back to the 18th century and has been restored several times over the centuries. Its three-part façade and two towers with double arches showcase different architectural features.

The Museo Científico Javier Cabrera displays a collection of about 11,000 engraved stones from the Ica culture. This collection focus differs from the variety of materials featured in the Museo Regional display. In Cachiche, visitors can see the La Bruja monument and the seven-headed palm tree. The place is also associated with the tradition that it was once a village famous for its witches; some are said to cure various illnesses and ailments today. These stories are part of local folklore.

The History of Wine and Pisco

Bodega Tacama is located in Ica Province, in the district of La Tinguiña. Its origins date back to 1540 in the Ica Valley. In the wider Ica destination, the family-run winery El Catador also offers wine and pisco; visitors can tour the vineyard and use a tasting area there. Check current booking arrangements before traveling. Bodega Vitivinicola Finca 314 preserves the original infrastructure of a winery dating from 1821, as well as a family tradition of artisanal pisco production spanning more than 190 years.

Ica in the Wider Region

The wider Ica destination includes other natural and cultural landscapes. The northern tourist circuit of the Reserva Nacional de Paracas is 26 kilometers long and can be explored by bicycle or ATV. Tourist boat transport to the Islas Ballestas is available. The three islands have arch-shaped landforms created by marine erosion.

Archaeological sites are another distinct highlight: the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Pampas de Jumana are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and have been preserved for more than two millennia as a highly symbolic cultural landscape. They depict living beings, stylized plants, imaginary creatures and geometric figures that are several kilometers long. The Centro Ceremonial Cahuachi belongs to the Nasca culture and, as an archaeological zone, is part of Peru’s Nation’s Cultural Heritage. Its central area contains several truncated adobe pyramids.

Discover more destinations: Ica, Paracas, Nazca, Sunampe.

Go to the wider travel overview: Ica.