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Fly over the Nazca Lines

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Contemplate the mystery of ancient desert etchings from the air as you fly over linear depictions of animals and plants in a light aircraft.

Mystery surrounds the origins of these endlessly intriguing geoglyphs, created by the Nazca people well over a millennium ago for a purpose we can today only guess at. What is clear is that the stylised forms, many in the shape of animals, people or flowers, can only be appreciated from the air, causing bafflement as to how and why an ancient culture would draw them so precisely and on such a huge scale. You’ll also be amazed at how well these seemingly fragile desert markings have withstood the centuries, surviving as a perfect if enigmatic record of their creators’ artistry.

Light aircraft flights from Pisco on the coast circle directly over the Nazca Lines for around half an hour. There is live commentary pointing out each of the different shapes in the sand, including the distinctive monkey, spider, condor and hummingbird designs and the much-discussed ‘spaceman’.

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Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Heloise
    Heloise Buxton - Travel Expert

    Heloise started her Latin American journey as an exchange student in Santiago, Chile. With extended summer holidays this was the perfect opportunity to backpack through Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Brazil.

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