Paracas Peninsula

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Location of the Paracas Peninsula in the Ica Region of Peru Location of the peninsula Paracas in Ica.svg
Location of the Paracas Peninsula in the Ica Region of Peru
Paracas Candelabra Paracas Candelabra - Ica, Peru.jpg
Paracas Candelabra

The Paracas Peninsula is a desert peninsula within the boundaries of the Paracas National Reserve, a marine reserve that extends south along the coast of Peru. The only marine reserve in the country, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is to mark and preserve the archeological sites of the Paracas culture, in addition to the marine habitat. [ citation needed ]

The peninsula is located within the Paracas District of Pisco Province in the Ica Region, on the south coast of Peru. This unusual peninsula may be best known for the Paracas Candelabra, a prehistoric geoglyph nearly 600 feet (183 m) tall that was created on the north face of the peninsula ridge. Pottery nearby was dated to 200 BCE, placing it within the Paracas culture.[ citation needed ] Its origins and purpose have inspired many theories.

A shipping port was built along the northern peninsula, where deeper water permits larger transport and cruise ships to anchor. Tourists can have access to the Paracas National Reserve, a large marine reserve, while the ships are protected against ocean waves and currents. The peninsula includes red sand beaches formed from sands eroded from nearby cliffs.

The port is reached by a single road from the mainland, and passes through the Paracas National Reserve. The Centre Museum, also called the Paracas Museum, holds several ancient artifacts from the Paracas culture. It also provides detailed information and interpretation about the flora and fauna native to the Reservation, including the many varieties of birds of Paracas.

In 2023, writer Katharine Sohn of Conde Nast Traveller ranked Paracas as one of the most beautiful places in the world, along such other sites as Australia's Shark Bay and Portugal's Algarve region. [1]

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Paracas or variation, may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paracas National Reserve</span>

Paracas National Reserve is a protected area located in the region of Ica, Peru and protects desert and marine ecosystems for their conservation and sustainable use. There are also archaeological remains of the Paracas culture inside the reserve.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julio C. Tello</span> Peruvian archaeologist

Julio César Tello Rojas was a Peruvian archaeologist. Tello is considered the "father of Peruvian archeology" and was the first indigenous archaeologist in South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paracas Candelabra</span> Prehistoric geoglyph in Peru

The Paracas Candelabra, also called the Candelabra of the Andes, is a well-known prehistoric geoglyph found on the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula at Pisco Bay in Peru. Pottery found nearby has been radio carbon dated to 200 BCE, the time of the Paracas culture. The design is cut two feet (0.61 m) into the soil, with stones possibly from a later date placed around it. The figure is 595 feet tall, large enough to be seen 12 miles (19.3 km) at sea.

Paracas Bay, with its southern end lying within the Paracas National Reservation is well known for its abundant wildlife. The unique ecosystem, insulated from thrashing ocean waves and current by Paracas Peninsula, and its shallow warmer waters, stimulates a remarkable growth of seaweed for which much of the wildlife, particularly the birds of Paracas, thrive upon directly or indirectly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paracas (municipality)</span> Place in Ica, Peru

Paracas is the capital of the Paracas District in the Ica Region in Peru. A small port town catering to tourism, Paracas serves as the jumping point for tours to Islas Ballestas and to Paracas National Reserve. The Paracas Bay, protected by Paracas Peninsula, gives these shallow, warmer waters a break from ocean waves, permitting life to flourish, particularly near its southwestern edge encompassed within the Paracas National Reserve. The Museo Julio C. Tello, also found just near the southwestern edge of Paracas Bay, provides information about Paracas culture and the many unique species, particularly birds, inhabiting the area. Paracas lies in a windy area where strong air currents carry sand, hence the town's name "Paracas", from Quechua: para (rain) and aco (sand).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballestas Islands</span>

The Ballestas Islands are a group of small islands near the town of Paracas within the Paracas District of the Pisco Province in the Ica Region, on the south coast of Peru.

References

13°51′32″S76°19′44″W / 13.85889°S 76.32889°W / -13.85889; -76.32889