1.- INTRODUCTION TO THE NAZCA LINES HUMMINGBIRD
There is no doubt that the Hummingbird Peru Nazca Lines is considered one of the greatest mysteries that have been recognized and highlighted of all the mysterious Nazca lines, the geoglyph itself stands out for the similarity and representations of a hummingbird considered as one of the traditional birds of the Andes and is distinctive for its ability to fly in any direction, it stands out because it contains highly complex strokes like the other figures that total more than 800 lines between geometric figures, zoomorphic and anthropomorphic representations. In many ways the Hummingbird Peru Nazca Lines stands out for the great symmetry that presents in addition to a large size so many historians have focused their work on discovering more about its cultural significance and the purpose it had within the belief and tradition during the Nazca culture.
The Nazca Lines Hummingbird is located in the Nazca desert, in the coastal region. Specifically in the plains that are between Nazca and Palpa, with more than 400 meters above sea level this geoglyph is mainly visible to visitors from the air so it requires a small plane overflight to appreciate it in its maximum splendor, it is also considered that its purpose is related to the heights that can be provided mainly by mountains being cataloged as a ritual or spiritual flight.
2.- Who made the Nazca Lines?
After many years of discovering the geoglyphs and even more of having the doubt of Who made the Nazca Lines it was determined that those responsible for this wonder is the Nazca culture, they are responsible for the creation of the impressive geoglyphs that extend throughout the Nazca desert, there are many figures but certainly among them stands out the Nazca Lines Hummingbird, a geoglyph that has a size of 66 meters from the tip of the beak to the wings extended on the back, in its design you can see a system of stylized lines with details that have made historians identify it clearly, thus giving a dynamic appearance so it gives the appearance of being a bird in flight.
The precision of its design is really remarkable from the first glance, even taking into account that it has an antiquity of more than 1500 years, in addition each one of the lines that are aligned and adjusted demonstrating a great knowledge in technical and organizational sense by this ancient culture, to highlight it in a special way they used the contrast of the color of the desert moving them stones of dark surface so that in this way they could be more visible with a clear land below, this allowed the Nazca Lines Hummingbird to be completely visible especially when it is an overflight.
3.- PROTECTION OF THE SITE
Due to the great historical and cultural value that the Nazca Lines have gained during the last centuries, the effort to preserve and conserve its discovery has intensified since 1920, although it has survived through time, it is still quite fragile, which constantly worries those responsible for its preservation, because human activities as well as vehicular traffic and other activities such as agriculture and tourism can in some way represent a considerable and irreversible damage to the integrity of this place. In the search for the preservation and minimize the risks of this place the Peruvian authorities have implemented some rules and laws as a measure of protection as is the case of a creation of a restricted access and observation platforms from where travelers who come to know this place in the world can appreciate the mysterious Nazca lines without affecting or violating in any way its integrity. On the other hand, many initiatives have been promoted to raise awareness of the importance of respecting and preserving the cultural heritage represented by the Nazca Lines.
4.- RECOGNITION FOR THE WORLD
“In 1994, UNESCO officially declared the Nazca Lines a World Heritage Site. This recognition seeks to give universal importance to this place as a cultural treasure, seeking to preserve and promote its care for future generations. Highlighting the largest ones, such as the spider, the astronaut, and, of course, the Nazca Lines Hummingbird, are particularly noteworthy..”
It is important to understand that this archaeological center is not only popular due to the presence of visible lines on the surface in fact it also has a great cultural importance since it involves a mystery that until today is recognized as one of the largest in the world, although it is completely unknown what was the central purpose of its creation it is estimated that it had a religious connotation and on the other hand astronomical although it is still a great point of debate, Thanks to the extreme climate of the site and its warm temperature, the geoglyphs have been preserved almost intact for generations and in this way Anglo researchers have been able to discover more information and details about the geoglyphs thanks to views from the heights and even images taken by satellites.
5.- VISITOR EXPERIENCE
Discovering one of the greatest mysteries in the world represents a great achievement for all the visitors of the world and even more if it is to know the Hummingbird Peru Nazca Lines since it is an experience that easily combines history, mystery and of course a unique landscape of its kind. When a traveler arrives to Nazca, he can easily experience a combination of amazement and surprise since being able to appreciate for the first time the image of the Nazca Lines Hummingbird and see how it extends in an incredible way in the vast desert creates a parallel confusion that intrigues the mind and leads to the question of what was its real purpose, this moment is also an invitation to a moment of reflection to learn more about the capabilities and at the same time beliefs that existed by the ancient inhabitants of this territory.
Currently there are two ways to appreciate the Nazca Lines Hummingbird, however both require that visitors have a sense of orientation of where they are and understand the importance of the place so it must be represented with a permanent respect for this reason it is extremely important that to properly appreciate the figure can be done from an elevated area of course that also varies depending on the interest, budget and physical conditions in which you find yourself.
5.1.- Overflight option
The traditional way to appreciate this incredible geoglyph is undoubtedly the aerial version that is done from the aerodrome located in the city of Nazca, from here you can choose a plane that allows you to make a 30 or 45 minutes overflight depending on your choice to not only see the famous Nazca Lines Hummingbird, but also the rest of the geoglyphs that are scattered throughout the desert as is the case of the monkey, the planes are quite small and usually can only allow a maximum of 4 or 6 passengers and are piloted by expert guides who in addition to being in charge of the aircraft also provide valuable detailed information about each of the figures and of course also the history and theory behind their creation.
The time of the overflight represents an exciting and vibrant experience for the travelers since the plane at certain times can tilt slightly in different directions which gives a better view of the immense Nazca lines and in this way the figures come to life in a unique and special way.
5.2.- Terrestrial option
Although the aerial option is the best alternative to be able to have a panoramic and clearer view of the Nazca lines, there is also a quieter option in which travelers can get to know the Nazca lines in a simple way, the terrestrial observation allows travelers to not only focus their concentration on appreciating the set of geoglyphs. In fact, they can also make light walks in the surroundings and in this way have a deeper immersion with the natural side of the environment, it is for this reason that in diverse strategic points of the desert there are platforms destined to the observation that have been built strategically in small hills and from where it is possible to appreciate the immense geoglyphs in a special way, clear that the figure cannot be appreciated in the totality. This land adventure is always accompanied by a local guide with the intention of giving you information about the history as well as a general context of the famous Nazca lines, which gives you a sense of deeper understanding of the meaning of each of the figures and relates it directly to the belief of the Nazca culture.
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6.- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are the Nazca Lines?
They are a set of immense geoglyphs that have been traced in the vast desert of Nazca in Peru. Each of the recorded geoglyphs shows a particular figure from animals, plants, geometric figures, human figures or just lines connected to each other that extend over a territory of more than 450 km², it is estimated that these were created between the V and VIII century AD.
- How big is the Hummingbird geoglyph?
It is one of the most popular figures among all the geoglyphs because it has a total size of 66 meters and presents the stylized design of a hummingbird that has the appearance of being in flight, which is directly associated with a special connection to nature.
- How were the Nazca Lines created?
The origin of its creation is unknown, however it is known that the contrast of the ground was used to better highlight the images, for this purpose stones with dark surfaces were used in order to elaborate the image while the ground underneath is light colored, which directly highlights the figure.
- When were the Nazca Lines discovered?
They were discovered in 1920 thanks to the Peruvian pilot Toribio Mejia Xesspe, who flew over the territory and identified the presence of strange geometric formations, however the presence of these formations was already known by the local people living in that place.
- Can you see the Hummingbird from the ground?
No, due to its size, its complete shape can only be clearly seen from the sky in an overflight, when viewed from one of the high towers, only a part of the whole figure can be seen.
Many are unaware that this place is listed as one of the tourist spots that you should visit at least once in your life for this reason you can start now with the planning of your trip for this 2025. Auri Peru will be your best ally in the creation of a personalized and adequate itinerary for your preferences, contact us now and we assure you that it will be the best trip of your life.
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