An
attractive old but busy city with around 170,000 inhabitants,
Ica is famous throughout Peru for its wine and pisco production.
Its very foundation (in 1563) went hand in hand with the introduction
of grapevines to South America, and for most Peruvian visitors
it is the bodegas or wineries that are the town's biggest draw.
A further attraction is the Museo Regional , whose superb collections
of pre-Colombian ceramics and Paracas, Ica and Nazca culture
artefacts would alone make the city worth an excursion. Ica's
streets and plazas are crowded with hundreds of little tico
taxis, all beeping their horns to catch potential passengers'
attention
and making crossing the streets a dangerous affair. Aside from
the traffic and the occasional pickpocket - particularly round
the market area - Ica is a pleasant but busy place with plenty
to do, though after a day or two most visitors are ready to
head for the relaxing desert oasis resort of Huacachina ,
a few kilometres
to the southwest. On the edge of town is the rather ramshackle
suburb of Cachiche , known throughout Peru as a traditional
sanctuary for white witches. Hostels in Ica |
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