If you are suffering from asthma and looking for a cure, then you might seek out the warm and dry climate of Ica Peru, which natives claim is a remedy for the affliction. While Ica travel may or may not truly cure asthma, it is rewarding nonetheless, as the city not only enjoys proximity to other southern Peru attractions, but also boasts the controversial Ica Stones. And, if you like wine, then Ica travel will prove particularly rewarding, as the tradition of wine making here spans back to the days when the city was a main supplier for “New Spain”. Ica Peru is also known for its production of the white-grape Pisco brandy that is the most important ingredient in the country’s national drink, the Pisco Sour. In Ica, you can view pre-Columbian artefacts, visit a nearby desert oasis, or book one of the interesting Ica tours, many of which visit attractions outside the city. Book a Ica vacation getaway on your next trip to Peru, and enjoy a thriving Peruvian desert city with a colonial feel. Be advised that an April 15, 2007 magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit the Peru coast, causing damage from cities in the Ica region and as far as almost 200 miles away in the capital city of Lima. Check ahead of time if you plan to visit Ica, as your trip could very well be negatively affected by the resulting issues. This is especially true when it comes to finding an adequate choice among the Ica hotels.

The history of human settlement in Ica Peru appears to date back some 10,000 years, with less-advanced cultures seeing replacement by more advanced cultures, such as the Nazca and Paracas. For insight into the past cultures of the Ica region, a visit to the Ica Regional Museum is a good place to start. Hailed as one of the premier small museums in Peru, it houses an impressive collection of pre-Columbian relics. If you are planning on booking one of the Ica tours that flies over the famed Nazca Lines, then looking over the Ica Regional Museum’s scale model of them should help to prepare you for your trip. Ica Peru had a fairly quiet history in terms of notable goings-ons, until in the 1400"s when the area came under the rule of the Incas. However, the Inca hold would not last long, as Spanish conquistadors re-founded the city in 1563. They named it Villa de Valverde de Ica, which means, City of the Green Valley of Ica. Agricultural pursuits were part of what the Spanish were after in Ica Peru, as the area was a good place to cultivate both cotton and grapevines. Visiting the Ica bodegas where the first vineyards of the New World were planted is a most interesting getaway for wine enthusiasts. Peruvians often refer to the Ica region as, “the land of the sun”, and other agricultural produce from here includes asparagus and olives. Spanish occupation of Ica Peru can be noted in the surviving colonial architecture, among the most impressive of which is the Cathedral Ica Peru. If you are wondering when to plan your Ica vacation, you might coincide your visit with the March wine festival, or with the October Señor de Luren Pilgrimage, both of which are interesting Peru events.

As for the aforementioned Ica Stones, they are a collection of thousands of engraved stones that seem to challenge the beliefs of most creationists and scientists. A few decades ago, the Ica Stones were made famous by a Lima medical physician who hailed from Ica Peru. His name was Dr. Javier Cabrera, and his interest in the origins and meanings of the Ica Stones began when he was gifted one of them on his birthday. For years, Cabrera argued that the stones depicted the life of a lost race of man known as Gliptolithic Man. Cabrera would go on through the years to collect thousands of the intriguing stones, which supposedly come from a cave in the Ica region and that depict humans coinciding with dinosaurs, and other kinds of confusing ancient occurrences that seem hard to believe. Since the mysterious cave where the Ica Stones are alleged to have come from has never been identified and the rocks can not be carbon dated, there are many who believe the Ica Stones are a hoax. You might stop by the home of the deceased doctor, where his vast collection is stored. The recent earthquake did damage a lot of the museum, and supposedly it is being moved to another building. Dr. Cabrera had an affinity for the unexplainable, which also led him to ponder the Ica Stones relation to the nearby Nazca Lines.

The Nazca Lines are just one of the area attractions that make Ica travel so exciting and rewarding. Other Ica tours might include exploring the surrounding desert in a dune buggy, sandboarding the desert hills, taking a paleontology tour, or combining the exploration of a fossil deposit with time spent on the beach and fishing. For some, the Ica tours that are available often become a major highlight of a Peru vacation. If you are looking to relax and get away from it all during your Ica vacation, you can’t beat spending some time at the Huacachina Oasis. Just 10 minutes outside of town, this palm-lined desert lagoon is among the top Peruvian vacation destinations. Ica tourism has been hampered by the recent earthquake, but you can bet that this attractive destination will work hard to rebuild itself. From Ica, you might consider heading north to the city of Pisco, or east to Cusco, depending on what your interests are. Pisco is a small town with some local attractions, but it may best serve as a jump-off point from which to explore the nearby Paracas Nature Reserve. You can also hail a motorboat from Pisco for a trip to the Ballestas Islands, where you can observe animals such as sea lions and penguins.