Pisco

Pisco is a port town on Peru's southern coast, about 230 kilometres south of Lima. The town itself is modest and was heavily damaged by an earthquake in 2007, with some areas still showing the effects. Most visitors use Pisco as a departure point for the Ballestas Islands, often called the "poor man's Galapagos," where boat tours pass colonies of sea lions, Humboldt penguins and thousands of seabirds nesting on guano-covered rocks. The Paracas National Reserve, a desert peninsula south of town, has dramatic coastal cliffs, empty beaches and a dry landscape that feels lunar. The Candelabra, a large geoglyph carved into a sandy hillside visible from the water, is passed on the way to the Ballestas Islands and predates the Nazca Lines. Pisco is also the name of Peru's grape brandy, and the Ica valley vineyards nearby produce it. A pisco sour at a local restaurant is practically mandatory.