The figures of the Nazca Lines

The figures on a standard flight, in order

Flights from Nazca airfield follow the classic circuit over the Pampa de Jumana. Flights from Pisco and Ica add the Palpa geoglyphs on the way in.

• The Whale (63 m): the first figure after take-off from Nazca, a killer whale with a human trophy head, a symbol of power.
• The Trapezoids: enormous cleared areas up to 800 m long, probably ceremonial plazas.
• The Astronaut or Owl Man (32 m): the only figure on a hillside, with round eyes and one hand raised. Older than the animal figures.
• The Monkey (93 m): nine fingers and a spiral tail; monkeys came from the Amazon and stood for water and rain.
• The Dog (51 m): a hairless Peruvian dog, still bred today.
• The Condor (134 m): the largest bird, messenger between the worlds in Andean belief.
• The Spider (47 m): drawn with a single line; the species lives in the Amazon and was a fertility symbol.
• The Hummingbird (93 m): the most photographed figure, symbol of the rainy season.
• The Heron or Flamingo (285 m): the longest figure, with a zigzag neck.
• The Parrot (200 m) and the Alcatraz or Pelican.
• The Tree (70 m) and the Hands (45 m): both visible from the observation tower on the Panamericana, with one hand of four fingers.
• The Lizard: cut in two by the highway in the 1930s, before anyone knew the figures were there.

What you see on the Pisco and Palpa flights

Flights from Pisco and Ica pass over Palpa, 40 km north of Nazca, where the geoglyphs are older (Paracas culture, around 500 BC) and drawn on hillsides rather than flat ground. The best known are the Paracas Family, a group of human figures, the Sun Dial (Reloj Solar) and a large humanoid known as the Star. The Pisco route then continues over the classic Nazca figures, which is why it is the longest flight.

Tips for spotting the figures

Look where the pilot points, not at the horizon; the figures are directly below the wing when he announces them. The lines are pale on a dark background, so polarised sunglasses help. Take photos with the camera against the window to avoid reflections, and switch the phone to burst mode: each figure is in view for about ten seconds per side.

Morning light gives the best contrast. If you tend to feel airsick, keep your eyes on the ground rather than the wing and ask for the front seats when you check in.

Frequently asked questions