The name of the desert comes from an indigenous culture that existed around 400 B.C. The Sechura extends from the Atacama desert and touches the northwestern South American coast. The majority of the desert can be found in the Piura Province. It's close proximity to the Pacific Ocean gives the desert quite low temperatures. In the summer, temperatures range from 25 to 38 C, and winter months range from 16 and 24 C. The various rivers that run through the Sechura make life sustainable. In fact, two of Peru's largest cities are within the desert's boundaries.
The Atacama coastal desert begins around the border of Peru and extends south far into Chile. It stretches 765 miles. The average width of the desert is 100 miles and the average elevation is 2,500 feet. A few million years ago, the area was under the ocean, hence its strange geography. Salt basins and lava flows make up most of the geography here, making it look almost moonlike. In fact, the desert was chosen to test the future prototype of the lunar rover. With the exception of infrequent summer showers, there is little to no precipitation in the Atacama. The desert is sparsely populated by plants, humans and animals.
The Nazca desert is perhaps the most famous of its kind in Peru because of its bizarre lines, which are best viewed from the air. It is a high arid plateau that spans 53 miles between the cities of Palpa and Nazca. The lines resemble a spider's web that extends for miles. Some of the figures resemble monkeys, lizards and birds. The lines were made by the Nazca Indians, who flourished from 200 B.C. to 600 A.D. It is also one of the driest deserts on Earth. Another strange thing about the desert is that it is not made of sand, but of dark red stones.
