Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [101]
Sights & Activities
MUSEO REGIONAL DE ICA
In suburban San Isidro, don’t miss this gem of a museum (23-4383; Ayabaca cuadra 8; admission S11.50, cameras S5; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat & Sun). Despite being robbed in 2004, it still has an impressive collection of artifacts from the Paracas, Nazca and Inca cultures, including superb examples of Paracas weavings, as well as textiles made of feathers. There are beautiful Nazca ceramics, scarily well-preserved mummies of everything from children to a small macaw, trepanned skulls and shrunken trophy heads, enormous wigs and tresses of hair. Out back look for a scale model of the Nazca Lines. Word has it that when the JC Tello Museum in Paracas closed due to earthquake damage most of the artifacts were put in storage here, and may be put on display in coming years.
The museum is 2.5km southwest of the city center. Take a taxi from the Plaza de Armas (S3). You could walk, but it’s usually not safe to do so alone, and even larger groups may get hassled.
MUSEO CABRERA PIEDRA
On the Plaza de Armas, this unsigned museum (23-1933; Bolívar 174; hrs vary, closed Sun) has an oddball collection of thousands of carved stones and boulders graphically depicting diverse pre-Columbian themes, from astronomy to surgical techniques and sexual practices. The eccentric collector, Dr Cabrera, claimed the stones were ancient, though there is local speculation as to whether they may be elaborate fakes.
COLONIAL CHURCHES & MANSIONS
The hulking Iglesia de San Francisco (cnr Municipalidad & San Martín) has some fine stained-glass windows. Ica’s cathedral, Iglesia de La Merced (cnr Bolívar & Libertad), was rebuilt in the late 19th century and contains a finely carved wooden altar, though the effects of the 2007 earthquake are clearly visible in its crumpling steeple. The Santuario de El Señor de Luren (Cutervo) boasts an image of the patron saint that is venerated by pilgrims during Semana Santa and again in October (Click here). The streets surrounding the Plaza de Armas boast a few impressive Spanish colonial mansions, including along the first block of Libertad.
WINERIES
Local wines and piscos can be bought around Ica’s Plaza de Armas, but it’s more fun to track them down at their source. Bodegas can be visited year-round, but the best time is during the grape harvest from late February until early April.
Some of Peru’s finest wine comes from Bodega Ocucaje (40-8011; www.hotelocucaje.com; Av Principal s/n; admission free; tastings 9am-noon & 2-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-noon Sat, tours 11am-3pm Mon-Fri), but unfortunately it’s fairly isolated, over 30km south of Ica off Carr Panamericana Sur. Hiring a taxi to reach the winery costs around S30 each way, or you can join a local tour leaving from Ica (Click here).
Another touristy bodega, located less than 10km north of Ica, Bodega El Catador (40-3295; off Carr Panamericana Sur Km 334; tours & tastings 9:30am-7pm) lets tourists join in a symbolic stomping of the grapes during February and March, and runs free tours and wine and pisco tastings all year. It also has a restaurant that serves local specialties and occasionally has live music. A taxi should cost about S7 each way.
Bodega Vista Alegre (23-2919; Camino a La Tinguina, Km 2.5; 8am-noon & 1:45-4:45pm Mon-Fri, 7am-1pm Sat), 3km northeast of Ica in the La Tinguiña district, is the easiest of the large commercial wineries to visit (taxi one-way S5). It’s best to go in the morning, as the winery occasionally closes in the afternoon. Another place producing the right stuff is Bodega Tacama (22-8395; www.tacama.com; 9am-4:30pm), 11km northeast of Ica, which offers interesting tours of its industrial facilities. Again, you’ll have to hire a taxi to get here (S15 each way).
The countryside around Ica is also scattered with family-owned artisanal bodegas, most of which welcome visits from the general public. A number of these are located in