Pisco, Ica Region, Peru

🇵🇪 Pisco is a city located in the Department of Ica of Peru, the capital of the Pisco Province. The city is around 9 metres above sea level. Pisco was founded in 1640, close to the indigenous emplacement of the same name. Pisco originally prospered because of its nearby vineyards and became noted for its grape brandy or pisco which was exported from its port.

The city was highly populated until 1685, when it was pillaged by English pirates. The city suffered again in 1687 because of an earthquake. Vines are abundant, despite the sandy and infertile terrain; they grow in many places because of the moisture from inside the earth and provide Lima with its wines and grape concentrates that run along the various mountain provinces extending to Panama and Guayaquil.

Pisco was attacked by the pirates Clerck and David; in addition, in 1687 it was destroyed by an earthquake, which caused a tsunami to follow, destroying the city further. Viceroy Melchor Antonio Portocarrero Lazo de la Vega then moved it to its current location, reestablishing it in 1689 as "Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Concordia de Pisco".

Tourist attractions Pisco is a Quechua word meaning "bird". The area is often visited because of the concentration of marine animals and birds at the Paracas National Reserve, or the Peruvian Galápagos. At the reserve there are the Islas Ballestas, a collection of islands which are off limits to people, but boat tours can get close to. The Chincha Islands are also near its coast. Many bird species can be seen in the islands including pelicans, penguins, cormorants, Peruvian boobies, and Inca terns, as well as sea lions, turtles, dolphins, and whales.

Another attraction in the area is El Candelabro, a giant lamp dug in the rough sand in the method used by the creators of the Nazca Lines.

One of the major ancient civilizations in Peru, the Paracas culture, flourished in the area where Pisco sits. This people was known for its elaborate textiles and grave goods, including polychrome shawls made with camelid (llama or alpaca) wool and cotton, which date to 600 BCE. Due to its ease of access and its crossroads to the Andes, the Spaniards may have considered making Pisco the capital, before they decided on Lima.

In the city is the Plaza de Armas, where people buy tejas, small sweets made from pecans and assorted dried fruits. Many different building that surround the Plaza are the statue of José de San Martín, the mansion he lived in, and the Municipal Palace. Other building in the city is the heavily baroque Iglesia de la Compañía, begun in 1689, features a superb carved pulpit and gold-leaf altarpiece.

Near the town, just off the road to Ayacucho, lies the large, well-preserved Inca site of Tambo Colorado.

Many beaches attract tourists during the summer months.