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Peru Travel Guide: Huacachina Oasis
Chances are tearing around sand dunes in the middle of a desert may not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Peru. But hurtling down a sand dune head first on your stomach is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Peru. Just a few hours south of Lima and on the way to Nazca and Arequipa, are the vast sand dunes of Ica. These massive, seemingly endless dunes look imported from the Sahara and surround the quaint desert oasis town of Huacachina.
Ica sand dunes, Peru. Photo courtesy of Challen Clarke.
Once the playground of the wealthy, Huacachina now has the air of a former beauty queen. The town is centered around a small lagoon fed by a natural spring and framed by leafy green palms. The restaurants and Huacachina hotels that line the small lake are composed of old Spanish colonial revival architecture and seem like they were constructed to house the elite of the 1920s rather than the 20-somethings that now sip Peruvian beer at outdoor tables. Limenos come here on the weekends to enjoy the sunshine and get away from the busyness of city life while travelers often stay here overnight on their way to visit Paracas, Nazca, and Arequipa.
Huacachina Oasis, Peru. Photo Courtesy of Challen Clarke.
If sandboarding sounds terrifying to you, don’t worry – it’s really not. Although sand in your mouth is not exactly appetizing, sandboarding is much tamer than snowboarding. Plus, tour operators have made it easy for weekenders to show up and conquer the dunes. You can arrange a two hour tour of the dunes which costs 45 soles per person. There are generally two tours a day, one in the morning at 9:00am and one in the afternoon at 4:00pm. The tour includes a thrilling dune buggy ride through the desert, and three or four sandboarding runs which gradually increase in length and incline.
Some people decide not to spend the 45 soles and try sandboarding on their own. This is entirely feasible, but I highly recommend taking the dune buggy tour. Walking up the sand dunes is much more difficult than it sounds, and it’s nice to have a driver pick you up when you reach the bottom and take you to the next sand dune.
Sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru. Photo courtesy of Challen Clarke.
You can board down the dunes on your feet, like a snowboarder, or on your stomach. Most newbies opt for plunging head first down the dunes as it´s actually easier and you have more control. You spread your legs wide for balance and can drag your toes in the sand to slow you down.
On the buggy tour you can try the first few dunes and stop if you feel uncomfortable, or opt out completely and still enjoy the dune buggy ride, the views of the desert, and watching other people try the sport. If you take the 4:00pm tour instead of the 9:00am tour you will be able to see the sunset over the dunes, which is a wonderful addition.
Some of the hotels have nice pools and the weather in Huacachina is almost always sunny and warm. It´s truly a great place to spend a day relaxing before continuing on your vacation. If you feel restless, you can always take a pisco tour at the surrounding bodegas in Ica, or take a Paracas and Nazca tour which includes a boat tour of the Ballestas Islands to spot marine mammals and sea birds, before continuing on to see the Nazca Lines.
To get to Huacachina from Lima, you must take a bus to Ica, and then take a taxi for 5 soles to Huacachina. PeruBus has buses that leave Lima every hour or so, and Cruz del Sur has fewer buses, but they are faster and more comfortable.
For more information about visiting Huacachina on your Peru tour, contact one of our travel advisors who can help you customize your Peru vacation.
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[...] Leave a Comment I had just arrived in Lima, Peru 3 days prior and had barely settled into the city’s cold and drab winter weather when I was spontaneously invited to a weekend getaway which was to include sandboarding and dune buggy adventures. “What?” I asked my friends, not knowing what they were referring to. As it turns out, just hours south of the sprawling metropolis of Lima lay the vast pampas deserts of Peru, and we were headed to Huacachina. [...]