Paracas is the capital of the

Paracas District Paracas District is one of eight districts of the province Pisco in Peru. Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática The Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática (INEI) ("National Institute of Statistics and Informatics") is a ...

in the Ica Region in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

. A small port town catering to tourism, Paracas serves as the jumping point for tours to Islas Ballestas and to

Paracas National Reserve Paracas National Reserve is a protected area located in the region of Ica, Peru and protects desert and marine ecosystems for their conservation and sustainable use. There are also archaeological remains of the Paracas culture inside the reserve. ...

. The

Paracas Bay Paracas Bay, with its southern end lying within the Paracas National Reservation is well known for its abundant wildlife. The unique ecosystem, insulated from thrashing ocean waves and current by Paracas Peninsula, and its shallow warmer waters, ...

, protected by

Paracas Peninsula The Paracas Peninsula is a desert peninsula within the boundaries of the Paracas National Reserve, a marine reserve that extends south along the coast of Peru. The only marine reserve in the country, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site ...

, gives these shallow, warmer waters a break from ocean waves, permitting life to flourish, particularly near its southwestern edge encompassed within the Paracas National Reserve. The , also found just near the southwestern edge of

, provides information about

Paracas culture The Paracas culture was an Andean society existing between approximately 800 BCE and 100 BCE, with an extensive knowledge of irrigation and water management and that made significant contributions in the textile arts. It was located in what tod ...

and the many unique species, particularly birds, inhabiting the area. Paracas lies in a windy area where strong air currents carry sand, hence the town's name "Paracas", from

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language **So ...

: ''para'' (rain) and ''aco'' (sand).

History

On September 7, 1820, General

José de San Martín José Francisco de San Martín y Matorras (25 February 177817 August 1850), known simply as José de San Martín () or '' the Liberator of Argentina, Chile and Peru'', was an Argentine general and the primary leader of the southern and centr ...

landed at Paracas with six ships of his Peruvian Freedom Expedition from Chile.

Hotel boom

Paracas has become one of the major beach resorts of Peru and has received much hotel investment. (Spanish) With the hotel boom of 2009,

added three 4 and 5 star hotels and two 3 star hotels.

References

{{Ica-geo-stub Populated places in the Ica Region