By road, Huancavelica and Nazca are about 271 miles (436 km) apart, or roughly 7 h 23 min of driving.
- Level 4: Do Not Travel in Peru: Abancay, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huancayo within the regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junín.
This route passes through or near an area the State Department rates Do Not Travel. Read the full advisory before you plan this drive: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Distance | 271 mi (436 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 7 h 23 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-26B → HV-116 → PE-28A → HV-121 → HV-710 → HV-120 → AY-113 → I-C-109 → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 10.8 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 3 |
What the drive from Huancavelica to Nazca is like
PE-26B (44 mi) and HV-121 (44 mi) carry about 32% of the 271 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica. Of the 3 stops listed below, 2 are within a mile of the road.
The route from Huancavelica to Nazca, road by road
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Huancavelica |
| PE-26B | 1–45 | 44 | Huancavelica |
| HV-116 | 45–86 | 41 | Huancavelica, Ayacucho |
| PE-28A | 86–119 | 33 | Ayacucho, Huancavelica |
| HV-121 | 119–163 | 44 | Huancavelica |
| HV-710 | 163–170 | 7 | Huancavelica |
| HV-120 | 170–197 | 27 | Huancavelica |
| AY-113 | 197–211 | 14 | Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Ica |
| I-C-109 | 211–237 | 26 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 237–270 | 33 | Ica |
| local roads | 270–271 | 1 | Ica |
- Mile 84 of this route: Huancavelica → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 96 of this route: Ayacucho → Huancavelica (region line)
- Mile 201 of this route: Huancavelica → Ayacucho (region line)
- Mile 209 of this route: Ayacucho → Ica (region line)
Breaking up the drive: stops between Huancavelica and Nazca
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Museo Maria Reiche (mile 254), Nazca lines (mile 254)
- Museums and history: Pernil Alto (mile 235), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 254)
Pernil Alto
At Pernil Alto, in the Río Grande District of Palpa province, archaeologists have traced how the site's inhabitants took up agriculture between about 3800 and 3000 BCE.
Museo Maria Reiche
Opened in 1994, Museo Maria Reiche (Casa Museo Maria Reiche) is a house museum at kilometer 421.3 of the Pan-American Highway South in El Ingenio district, about 27.5 km from Nasca and 21.3 km from Palpa.
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.
Arriving in 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.
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).
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.
More drives to Nazca
From Huancavelica to other places in Peru
- Huancavelica to Jauja
- Huancavelica to La Merced
- Huancavelica to Oxapampa
- Huancavelica to Satipo
- Huancavelica to Puerto Ocopa
- Huancavelica to Churin
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Huancavelica to Nazca?
About 7 h 23 min of driving without stops, over 271 miles.
What is the driving distance from Huancavelica to Nazca?
About 271 miles (436 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 Huancavelica to Nazca drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Parts of this route are in or near areas rated Level 4: Do Not Travel (Peru: Abancay, Ayacucho, Huancavelica, and Huancayo within the regions of Ayacucho, Cusco, Huancavelica, and Junín). Read the full advisory before you go.
What roads does the drive from Huancavelica to Nazca use?
In order: PE-26B, HV-116, PE-28A, HV-121, HV-710, HV-120, AY-113, I-C-109 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Huancavelica and Nazca?
Closest to the road: Pernil Alto (archaeological site, mile 235, 1 mi from the route); Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 254, 0.3 mi from the route); Nazca lines (geoglyph, mile 254, 0.9 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.