Museo Regional de Ica
It's a little out of the way, but don't let that stop you from visiting this compact museum with a well-preserved collection of regional pre-Columbian artifacts—particularly from the Inca, Nazca, and Paracas cultures. Note the quipus, mysterious knotted, colored threads thought to have been used by the Incas to count commodities and food reserves. Fans of the macabre will love the mummy display, where you can see everything from embalmed humans to a mummified bird.
Meanwhile, the squeamish can head out back to view a scale model of the Nazca Lines from an observation tower. You can also buy maps and paintings of Nazca motifs from the gift shop. The museum is about 1½ km (1 mile) from the main square, but it's not advisable to walk, so hop on one of the city's three-wheeled mototaxis that will make the trip for around S/5.
