Peru - Lonely Planet Publications [102]
Tours & Guides
Travel agencies around the Plaza de Armas offer city tours and winery excursions. Aero Condor Perú (25-6230; www.aerocondor.com.pe; Hotel Las Dunas Sun Resort, Av La Angostura 400) offers tourist overflights of the Nazca Lines for about US$170 per person.
To gain a unique understanding of secrets hidden in the Ocucaje Desert surrounding Ica, contact Roberto Penny Cabrera (23-7373; http://icadeserttrip.com) A well-known local geologist, Cabrera offers private tours for US$100 per person per day to explore geological formations, discover ancient marine fossils, and take in the desolate desert landscape while camping below the stars.
Festivals & Events
Ica has more than its share of fiestas. February inspires the water-throwing antics typical of any Latin American carnaval, plus dancers in beautiful costumes. In early to mid-March, it’s time for the famous grape-harvest festival, Fiesta de la Vendimia, with all manner of processions, beauty contests, cockfights and horse shows, music and dancing, and of course, free-flowing pisco and wine. Most of the events are reserved for evenings and weekends at the festival site of Campo Feriado, on the outskirts of town, but during the week, the tasting and buying of wine and honey throughout the town dominates. The founding of the city by the Spanish conquistadors on June 17, 1563 is celebrated during Ica Week, while Tourist Week happens during mid-September. In late October, the religious pilgrimage of El Señor de Luren culminates in fireworks and a traditional procession of the faithful that keeps going all night.
Sleeping
Beware that hotels fill up and double or triple their prices during the many festivals.
BUDGET
Most travelers head for Huacachina, about 4km west of the city. If you get stuck in Ica overnight, dozens of depressing, cheap hotels line the side streets east of the bus terminals and north of the Plaza de Armas, particularly along Calle Tacna.
Hotel Arameli (23-9107; Tacna 239; s/d/tr S30/40/60) Close to the Plaza de Armas, Arameli has two floors of basic rooms with cable TVs and reliable hot water. But be advised that if you’re not a fan of firm mattresses, you may want to hit the sack elsewhere.
La Posada del Sol (23-8446; Loreto 193-239; s/d/tr S30/60/80; ) This newer hotel boasts some smart design details. Rooms meet your needs and service is cordial, plus the location is convenient to both the plaza and bus stations.
Hostal Soyuz (22-4743; Manzanilla 130; s/d/tr S40/50/70/85; ) Sitting directly over the Soyuz bus terminal, this handy option for late arrivals or early departures has carpeted rooms with air-con and cable TV, but is only for heavy sleepers on account of the rumpus below.
MIDRANGE
Hotel Sol de Ica (23-6168; www.hotelsoldeica.com; Lima 265; s/d/tr incl buffet breakfast S90/120/170; ) This dazzlingly white, three-story central hotel gives personalized service. Remarkably small rooms have unusual wood paneling, TVs and phones. The hotel has a sauna and two swimming pools.
El Carmelo (23-2191; www.elcarmelohotelhacienda.com; Carr Panamericana Sur Km 301; s/d/tr/q from US$30/50/60/70; ) This romantic roadside hotel on the outskirts of town inhabits a delightful 200-year-old hacienda that has undeniable rustic charm. There’s a good restaurant plus a winery on-site. Take a taxi from the city center (S3).
TOP END
Hotel Las Dunas Sun Resort (25-6224; www.lasdunashotel.com; Av La Angostura 400; s/d/tr from S249/296/615; ) By far the most luxurious hotel in town, the sprawling Las Dunas resort boasts a swimming pool, sauna, tennis courts, mini-golf course, business center, restaurants and bars. Various excursions are offered (for an additional fee), including cycling, horseback riding, sandboarding and winery