The Coolest Thing to Do in Peru Is Not Actually Machu Picchu

On my last visit to Peru, I put my best friend in charge of planning activities. She came to me and said we absolutely had to do a flyover of the Nazca Lines because it was cool and out of the way and would be a thrill. Now, my best friend knows that I am already terrified of flying, let alone flying in a very, very small plane, but she presented me with a lot of information on the Lines.

The Lines are a bunch of geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert, which is basically in the middle of nowhere. They're in a bunch of shapes, mostly of animals, and while there is a viewing platform in the desert, you get a much better view from the sky. It's believed the shapes were made between 500 BCE and 500 CE by wiping away the reddish pebbles and uncovering the ground underneath.

If you do a flyover, you first have to get yourself to Nazca. We took a bus from Lima, which took about seven hours each way. It's the best — and just about only — way to get out there. Nazca is a very small town, but a very welcoming place. Once there, you can book a flyover with a few different companies for about $100 per person. The flyover tour is about a half hour, and you'll have a tour guide who will point out the various shapes from the sky. Be aware that it is a very small plane, so you will feel all the motion and the altitude, and it's really loud, even with headphones. Going in, I was terrified and my best friend was excited. Once we got up in the sky, I thought it was the most amazing thing ever and she got seasick. So, definitely have an open mind.

Keep reading to get a glimpse of the view from the sky, and definitely make the trip out to Nazca if you go to Peru any time soon.