The Wayro route from Chimbote to Nazca is 537 miles (864 km), about 13 h 12 min of driving without stops.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Roads are often poorly maintained and may lack crash barriers, guard rails, signs, and streetlights.”
| Distance | 537 mi (864 km) |
|---|---|
| Driving time, no stops | 13 h 12 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1N → LM-101 → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Áncash, Lima, Lima Province, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 21.5 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
Driving Chimbote to Nazca: the shape of the trip
PE-1S (265 mi) and PE-1N (259 mi) carry about 98% of the 537 miles. It runs through 4 regions: Áncash, Lima, Lima Province, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 6 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Chimbote to Nazca, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Áncash |
| PE-1N | 1–169 | 168 | Áncash, Lima |
| LM-101 | 169–176 | 7 | Lima |
| connecting roads | 176–177 | 1 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 177–268 | 91 | Lima, Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 268–500 | 232 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| local roads | 500–503 | 3 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 503–536 | 33 | Ica |
| local roads | 536–537 | 1 | Ica |
- Mile 133 of this route: Áncash → Lima (region line)
- Mile 231 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 301 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 376 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Chimbote and Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chancay Museum (mile 217), Museum of Congress and the Inquisition (mile 263), Church of Our Lady of Patronage, Lima (mile 263), La Centinela (mile 386), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 449), Nazca lines (mile 521)
- Museums and history: Caral (mile 162), Chancay Museum (mile 217), Museum of Congress and the Inquisition (mile 263), La Centinela (mile 386), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 449)
Chanquillo
Chanquillo (Chankillo) is an ancient complex in the coastal desert of Áncash, with a hilltop fort, the Thirteen Towers solar observatory, and residential and gathering areas.
El Castillo de Huarmey
On Peru's coast in the Ancash Region north of Lima, El Castillo de Huarmey is a pyramid-like site where a royal Wari tomb holding 60 individuals was found undisturbed in 2013.
Caral
The Sacred City of Caral-Supe holds the remains of the main city of the Caral civilization, 182 km north of Lima, 23 km inland and 350 meters above sea level.
Chancay Museum
Chancay's municipal museum opened in 1991 inside the Castillo de Chancay and in 2012 moved to a new home facing the town's Plaza de Armas.
Museum of Congress and the Inquisition
Located in the former headquarters of the Inquisition tribunal on Jirón Junín, next to Plaza Bolívar in Lima's historic center, this museum covers the history of both the Inquisition and Peru's Congress.
Church of Our Lady of Patronage, Lima
The Church of Our Lady of Patronage is a Catholic church in Lima's traditional Rímac district, part of the city's historic center.
La Centinela
Between Chincha Baja and Tambo de Mora, La Centinela was the main late settlement of the Chincha lordship and later became the seat of Inca administration in the valley.
Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins"
Ica's regional archaeological museum, named for Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins, focuses on the different Indigenous cultures that lived in Peru.
Nazca lines
Scratched into the Nazca Desert of southern Peru between 500 BC and 500 AD, the Nazca lines are geoglyphs made by removing surface pebbles to expose different-colored ground.
When you get to Nazca
Los Paredones
Near Nazca, Los Paredones is an Inca site that served as an administrative control center between coast and highlands under Túpac Yupanqui, built of adobe on carved stone bases.
Cantalloc Aqueducts
About 3 km east of Nazca, the Cantalloc Aqueducts are part of a system of more than 40 aqueducts built by the Nazca culture and used year-round.
Museo Arqueológico Antonini
On Avenida de la Cultura in Nazca, the Museo Arqueológico Antonini holds many of the finds recovered by the Italian archaeological mission Proyecto Nasca (1982–2011).
More drives to Nazca
From Chimbote to other places in Peru
- Chimbote to Huaral
- Chimbote to Huánuco
- Chimbote to Tarma
- Chimbote to Aguaytía
- Chimbote to Oxapampa
- Chimbote to La Merced
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Chimbote to Nazca?
About 13 h 12 min of driving without stops, over 537 miles.
How far is Nazca from Chimbote by car?
About 537 miles (864 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Chimbote to Nazca drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Chimbote to Nazca?
In order: PE-1N, LM-101 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Chimbote and Nazca?
Closest to the road: Chancay Museum (museum, mile 217, 0.3 mi from the route); Museum of Congress and the Inquisition (museum, mile 263, 0.5 mi from the route); Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (anthropology museum, mile 449, 0.3 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.