THE CITY OF ICA

The city of Ica, is the capital of the Ica

Region in southern Peru. While the area was
long inhabited by varying cultures of
indigenous peoples. As of 2005, it had an
estimated population of over 219,856. The
city suffered extensive damage and loss of
life during the 2007 Peru earthquake.

The city is located on the Ica River about

300 km to the south of Lima, along the
desert coast of southern Peru. Further south
along the Pan-American Highway lies the
city of Nazca.

Huacachina oasis, Ica, Peru Ica - Iglesia de San Francisco

In 2007, researchers found the fossil remains of a prehistoric penguin, Icadyptes

salasi, which inhabited the Atacama Desert about 30 million years ago. Scientists
estimate it was about 4.5 or five feet tall, with a foot-long beak.

Evidence of prehistoric indigenous civilizations has been found in the nearby

deserts, such as that of Paracas. These included the Paracas and the Inca, the
last of whom were a people who encountered the Spanish. Numerous pre-
Columbian archeological artifacts are displayed in the Museo Regional de Ica.

The Spanish colonial city was founded on 17 June 1563 by Gerónimo Luis de
Cabrera as Villa de Valverde. It was ruled by Spain under colonial rulers until Peru
achieved independence.

On 15 August 2007, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Peru,
severely damaging buildings, houses and infrastructure in Ica. Initially 17 people
died and 70 were killed when a church collapsed. Pisco was even more severely
damaged than Ica, with many people buried under buildings which had fallen;
80% of the city's buildings were destroyed
 Huacachina, an oasis near Ica

Ica and surrounding areas are the traditional source of Pisco brandy. Ica is the
site of the Museo Regional de Ica, a regional museum with exhibits ranging from
prehistoric artifacts to the Spanish colonial era. On display are pre-
Columbian funerary bundles and mummies, whose elongated skulls from
the Paracas and pre-Inca cultures suggest ritual deformation, perhaps a mark of
the elite. Some skulls also bear evidence of trepanning, a kind of early brain
surgery to relieve internal pressure or remove damaged skull matter suffered in
battle. There are also furniture, paintings and artifacts from the
Spanish colonial era.
Ica's location in the desert provides unique opportunities for tourism, such as the
nearby Huacachina oasis, located in the midst of sand dunes. It attracts
international travelers, as well as resort seekers from Peru. Some young visitors try
sandboarding; others travel the dunes in sand buggies.