Ica

Ica is the capital of Peru's Ica Department and an oasis city on the country's arid southern coast, roughly 300 kilometres south of Lima along the Pan-American Highway. Known as the 'City of Eternal Sun' for its warm, dry climate, it combines desert dunes, vineyards and a busy agricultural economy with a relaxed provincial character.

Founded in 1563 as Villa de Valverde del Valle de Ica by Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera, the city sits in a region shaped by the Paracas, Nazca, Chincha and Inca cultures. The Museo Regional de Ica 'Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins' displays pre-Columbian textiles, ceramics, mummies and elongated skulls, while colonial landmarks such as the Santuario del Señor de Luren and the cathedral on the Plaza de Armas reflect its Spanish heritage. A magnitude-8.0 earthquake in 2007 caused widespread damage, and much of the centre has since been rebuilt.

The biggest draw is the Huacachina oasis, a palm-fringed lagoon ringed by high sand dunes where visitors ride dune buggies and try sandboarding. Surrounding bodegas and distilleries produce pisco and wine, and day trips reach the Paracas National Reserve and the Nazca Lines, two of the region's best-known attractions.

Ica is also a centre for agro-export businesses, with grapes, asparagus, avocados, mangoes and cotton grown in the surrounding valleys, and its pisco and wine industries give it national significance. Hotels, restaurants and tour operators concentrate around the city centre and Huacachina.

For leisure travellers the desert scenery, wineries and outdoor activities are the main reasons to visit, while business travellers come for agriculture, trade and events. The city's compact centre and year-round sunny weather make it an easy base for exploring southern Peru.