Peru is really a great country of extreme contrasts, and your impressions in Huacachina are a perfect demonstration of that! It is astonishing that one can see snow mountains that are followed by Amazon jungle that are followed by a desert oasis all within the same country. Huacachina and their fantastic dunes and amazing activities want to be an unforgettable feature.
Your Welcome to Huacachina: the Desert Oasis in Peru
Peru is also known to have many climates as the country has 30 of the 32 world climates.
It is a very diverse land, with the highlands of Andes and the Amazon rainforest, a large coastline, and one of the unusual desert oases, Huacachina. I have spent one month in Peru and it is apparent that this country has some incomparable options of travel, activities and yes, a rather complex packing list!
If there is any amazing place that I have ever been to, it is Huacachina. Another unforgettable experience was the desert and dunes, which were totally beautiful and gave the ability to feel the real life in sandboarding and dune buggy.
Getting There
Huacachina is easily accessible as it takes approximately five hours travelling south of Lima along the beautiful coastal line. Otherwise, if you are not on a private tour or have made the use of a company such as Peru Hop, your best hope is to bus to Ica first. There are buses at Lima and Cusco.
After coming to Ica it is a short taxi drive to Huacachina costing about 10-12 soles. You can also check cars via Uber when traveling with the local SIM card because it is convenient.
The Magic of the Sunrise and the Sunset
Huacachina dunes have a very charming atmosphere at sunset and sunrise.
The best time to visit Huacachina is to arrive around 3 PM so as to be on the dunes by the golden hour when the sun is slowly descending behind the horizon and leaving an incredibly beautiful impression through the dyeing of the sand in all colors.
Magic is also being offered by sunrise. When the sun is going down, take a headlamp and go to the dunes behind the oasis to see the sun rising on a vast amount of sand with the view over the city of Ica. It is a quite beautiful beginning of the day.
Algoma Adrenalin on the Dunes: Sandboarding, Sledding and Dune Buggies
Huacachina is itself small; but the dunes are the attraction. Nearly all the establishments in town will make available dune buggy and sandboarding tours. All of them get to the same places, so you should find a company and a price where you feel comfortable.
The ride it takes in dune buggies is adventurous. The experience of driving in the dunes at a very fast speed is very exciting and you also do not bother climbing up to board on the sand. The buggies are run in a one way track hence they are safe even with high speed.
Sandboarding is just like snowboarding, only that you have to strap some shoes and a board. Dunes are quite steep, therefore, though sand is softer than snow, be careful.
Putting on helmets is not part of the package deal but you are likely to become an enthusiastic proponent of sandboarding should you be a zealous snowboarder.
You can equally use stomach, face down, sled down as an option in case standing is not your choice. This reminds me of air boarding in the snow and since you are able to use your feet as brakes in case you are moving too fast. It is an amazing substitute for a new type of excitement.
Ancient mysteries: the Nazca lines reveal themselves
Nazca lines are also a World Heritage Site heavily advertised by many tour operators in Huacachina.
These are geoglyphs etched on to the earth surface by the Nazca culture way back around 500 BC to 500 AD and are composed of more than 70 figures, some simplistic as geometric figures, some complex as animals and humans. Others are as high as 1,200 feet and it is best that they are observed when looked at on top.
It usually takes about six hours to make a flight in Huacachina and the approximate price is about 90 USD. Its recommended to carry cash since lovely Isle ATMs in the town of Huacachina are not always reliable and the part or entire cost of the flight may be collected in cash.
It is an eco-friendly town where you can easily find a place to stay and enjoy your stay.
Huacachina has a limited and yet decent choice of accommodations. Hotel El Huacachinero is popular, too, which is in the town itself, and has a cooling pool, ideal when you need a break during hot days in the desert.
As an alternative, which is more cost effective, you can access the Wild Olive Guest House on the street side. And both of them are well located to make the early morning dune outings.
