62 The bustling capital of Peru is the gateway to the country and home to some of the best hotels, museums and shopping that the country has to offer. The city was established by conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1535. Today, Lima is a modern city with a population of over eight million, and the colonial city centre has been designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. In Limas dynamic modern districts, one ? nds a wealth of distractions, and above all, great food – the capitals chefs are world-renowned for their creativity and ? air, while their patrons are renowned for knowing how to enjoy their food in style. Around 600 A.D., the people of Nasca etched enormous designs and ? gures into the dry ? atlands of coast: drawings of a hummingbird, a monkey, a spider, among many others. These can only be seen properly from the air. How these lines were drawn and their meaning and purpose are still mysteries today. Close-by, the Paracas National Reserve with its Ballestas islands make up a great coastal wildlife haven, while Ica produces Perus best Pisco, the liquor used to prepare Pisco Sour, Perus national drink. DESTINATION HIGHLIGHTS Lima´s seafront Lima Nazca, Paracas and Ica Paracas Natural Reserve