Trixie Navarre

“Wow! Do you see it?” My words of enthusiasm as I turned around inside the small dodgy plane to see my friends and cousin vomiting in bags. Well, the pilot did warn us about the possibility of getting air sick. I was the only one besides the pilots who did not get airsick, assumedly because I was too excited to be sick. This was a magnificent experience, but I will not glamorize it only because that small plane on a windy day can cause a great amount of motion sickness, just ask my travel mates!

As part of our trip to Peru, I planned for us to take a flight over the mysterious Nazca Lines, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. These lines that can only be seen from overhead (1,600 ft) or the surrounding foothills, are one of the world’s most intriguing mysteries. There are still no clear conclusions of why they were created between 500 BC and 500 AD.

Prior to boarding our flight we all purchased a bottle of Inca Kola, a Peruvian soda, and did a celebratory toast. I do not drink soda, but decided that this was a special occasion. Cheers to new adventures and more exploration!

Once we boarded the small plane, and the engines started that was when we realized the need for the headphones. The engines were very loud, plus the only way you could hear the pilot’s Nazca Lines explanations was through the headphones. I still had to focus on listening, because the sounds of the engines were louder than the sounds of the pilot through the headphones. Something to keep in mind if you are sensitive to sound or hard of hearing.

Once we were airborne was when the magic happened with the sensational views of the Nazca Lines. The first formations pointed out were perfect geometric lines, and complete triangles. They were massive in size and precise in formation, it was all very impressive.

The most remarkable of the formations were the Spider, the Hummingbird, the Giant, the Monkey, and the Condor. I tried to get photographs of all of them, but many of my photos did not come out well. Luckily, my cousin (S.P) took several amazing photos of which I credited her on this post.

When flying from above to view the lines, keep in mind that the pilot will fly in different directions and circles in order for everyone to catch a glimpse. Remember there are two sides to the small planes, and everyone will be able to see formations. The swerving and turning is what caused my travel companions to get airsick, as well as the windy weather. This is something else to also keep in mind if you easily get airsick.

Hummingbird and Condor (photo credit S.P.)

Nazca Line Facts – The lines had been formed by making shallow incisions or depressions into the dry desert floor. Pebbles were removed which left different colored dirt exposed. This created a contrast, which are the lines that can be seen from above.

One of the most amazing discoveries has been in the years leading to 2020, where up to 100 new figures had been located using drones. Additionally, archaeologists suggest that there are more lines to be found. This belief had made me more excited to fly over again one day, to see the new Nazca Lines discovered.

There were many remarkable experiences we had during our two week exploration in Peru, and viewing the Nazca Lines was one of them. I strongly suggest to those taking a trip to Peru to add this to your list, along with your visit to Machu Picchu. Just take note of the weather patterns, and give yourself a couple of days in Nazca in case it is too windy to fly out. Also, if you get motion sickness take precautions with specific medications or herbs that you are familiar with. Most of all- ENJOY!

Travel Information

➡ If you are taking a large group tour of Peru, a flight over the Nazca Lines may be part of your iteniary, so no worries there. There are also tour companies that will bring you out to Nazca from Lima, and you can do you research to book online prior to your trip.

➡ If not and you are doing it on your own like we did, then you will have to make it down to Nazca which is quite easy. We had taken a 7 hour bus to Nazca, and stayed the night at one of the local hotels. I had contacted our accomodations prior to our stay in order for them to book a flight for us. They handled everything for us perfectly.

• Many hotels in Nazca will coordinate your flight tours for you, just make sure you communicate prior to your stay that you want a tour because they may sell out. There are only a certain amount of planes and airspace, and you do not want to miss out!

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Blessed are the curious for they will have adventures…

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📸 All photos are taken by me and are my intellectual property – Trixie Navarre