Its capital is the town of Pisco, where the popular liquor of the same name originated.

One of the main attractions of the province is the Paracas National Reservation, where 216 species of birds have been found.

The coastal desert area around this reserve is the home of the pre-Inca Paracas culture.

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.

The province is divided into eight districts (Spanish: distritos, singular: distrito), each of which is headed by a mayor (alcalde): With a moment magnitude of 8.0, more than 400 people died and more than 1,500 were injured during the 2007 Peru earthquake.