Nazca to Paracas is about 132 road miles (212 km): roughly 3 h 42 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Road travel at night is particularly dangerous.”
| Total distance | 132 mi (212 km) |
|---|---|
| Drive time without stops | 3 h 42 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1S → PE-28 |
| Regions on the route | Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 5.3 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 6 |
What the drive from Nazca to Paracas is like
PE-1S (118 mi) and PE-28 (6 mi) carry about 94% of the 132 miles. Of the 6 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Road-by-road breakdown: Nazca to Paracas
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–1 | 1 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 1–34 | 33 | Ica |
| local roads | 34–38 | 4 | Ica |
| PE-1S | 38–123 | 85 | Ica |
| connecting roads | 123–124 | 1 | Ica |
| PE-28 | 124–130 | 6 | Ica |
| local roads | 130–132 | 2 | Ica |
Places worth a stop between Nazca and Paracas
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Nazca lines (mile 17), Museo Maria Reiche (mile 17), St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (mile 88), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 88)
- Museums and history: Museo Maria Reiche (mile 17), Pernil Alto (mile 35), Huayuri (mile 40), St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (mile 88), Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (mile 88)
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.
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.
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.
Huayuri
Sometimes called the Lost City of Huayuri, this large pre-Columbian site in the coastal desert of the Ica Region flourished from 1150 to 1450 CE, during the Late Intermediate Period.
St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica
Also called Ica Cathedral, St. Jerome Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Ica, Peru.
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.
Arriving in Paracas
Paracas Candelabra
Carved into the northern face of the Paracas Peninsula on Pisco Bay, the Paracas Candelabra is a prehistoric geoglyph; nearby pottery dates to about 200 BCE.
Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello
Inside the Paracas National Reserve, the Museo de Sitio Julio C. Tello opened in 1964 and is named for the archaeologist who studied the Paracas culture.
More drives to Paracas
- Lima to Paracas
- Huaral to Paracas
- Huancayo to Paracas
- Huancavelica to Paracas
- Jauja to Paracas
- Barranca to Paracas
From Nazca to other places in Peru
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to drive from Nazca to Paracas?
About 3 h 42 min of driving without stops, over 132 miles.
How far is Paracas from Nazca by car?
About 132 miles (212 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.
Is it safe to drive from Nazca to Paracas?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Nazca to Paracas?
In order: PE-1S and PE-28. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Nazca and Paracas?
Closest to the road: Museo Maria Reiche (museum, mile 17, 0.1 mi from the route); Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins" (anthropology museum, mile 88, 0.4 mi from the route); St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica (cathedral, mile 88, 0.7 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.