Current Time in Ica, Peru

Ica is the capital of the region of the same name on the southern coast of Peru, about three hundred kilometres from Lima. It stands in a desert valley watered by the Ica River, a green ribbon of vineyards and cotton fields winding between vast dunes and stony plains. Rain almost never falls here, and the constant sunshine, cool nights and mineral-rich soils have made the valley one of the most productive agricultural districts in the country.

Around three hundred thousand people live in the city and its suburbs. Ica is the commercial heart of a region that exports grapes, asparagus, avocados, citrus and pecans to Europe, Asia and North America, and it is above all the capital of Peruvian wine and pisco, the grape brandy that gives the national cocktail its name. Dozens of bodegas, from centuries-old haciendas to modern wineries, welcome visitors for tastings.

The valley was settled long before the Spanish arrived. The Paracas and Nazca cultures flourished nearby, leaving behind extraordinary embroidered textiles, painted ceramics and the mysterious desert geoglyphs of the Nazca Lines. The Incas absorbed the region in the fifteenth century, and in 1563 the Spanish founded a town here that later moved to its present site after earthquakes and floods. Colonial estates grew rich on wine, cotton and sugar, worked in part by enslaved Africans whose descendants shaped the music and cuisine of the region. A severe earthquake in 2007 destroyed many historic buildings, and much of the centre has been rebuilt since.

The famous Regional Museum of Ica holds one of the finest archaeological collections in Peru, with Paracas mantles, Nazca pottery, mummies and examples of ancient cranial surgery. The main square, the church of El Señor de Luren and the surviving colonial mansions give the centre its character. Just outside the city lies Huacachina, a palm-fringed lagoon set among towering sand dunes, where visitors race across the desert in buggies and slide down the slopes on sandboards at sunset. Longer excursions reach the Nazca Lines, the wildlife-rich Ballestas Islands and the Paracas National Reserve.

Local life revolves around the harvest. The Vendimia festival each March fills the streets with parades, music, the crowning of a harvest queen and the treading of grapes by foot in shallow stone vats. Afro-Peruvian rhythms, criollo waltzes and dishes such as carapulcra, sopa seca and the sweet tejas made of manjar blanco and fruit belong firmly to this part of the coast.

The Pan-American Highway carries frequent buses to Lima, Paracas, Nazca and Arequipa, and taxis and minibuses connect the city with surrounding towns. The National University San Luis Gonzaga is a long-established regional institution alongside several private universities.

Ica combines desert adventure, ancient history and outstanding wine, making it one of the most enjoyable stops on the Peruvian coast.