Best Things to Do in Huacachina, the Desert Oasis of Peru

Huacachina. A tiny, natural desert oasis surrounded by some of the biggest sand dunes in South America. A place where thousands of adventure lovers and thrill-seekers come every year to do some crazy activities such as dune buggying and sandboarding.

In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about Huacachina prior to your trip including how to get there and how long you should spend in this desert oasis. Of course, the guide wouldn’t be complete without including all the best things to do, with many of our little tips from personal experience, so you can have the most memorable time possible there.

If you’d like to see our Huacachina adventures, then make sure to watch our video on YouTube. For more Peru videos, check out the Peru Playlist on our YouTube channel.

All You Need to Know About Huacachina

Located about 5km (3 miles) to the west of the city of Ica in southwestern Peru is the tiny village of Huacachina. What’s unique about this tiny place is that Huacachina is the only natural desert oasis in South America, located between some of the biggest sand dunes on the continent.

The name Huacachina comes from Quechua and it translates to ‘weeping woman’. Of course there are many different legends surrounding Huacachina’s name. Some suggest that the lake was created by the tears of a beautiful princess mourning her lover. Others suggest that the princess was admiring herself in a mirror and when she got scared by a warrior she dropped it and the mirror turned into the lake.

In reality, the oasis was created from underground aquifers seeping through the sand. This also helped vegetation such as palm trees, eucalyptus, and carob trees to grow around the lagoon creating a beautiful environment that started to attract visitors. Although the village only has about 100 permanent resident, it hosts tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Did you know? – Whilst the lake was created naturally, since the 2000’s well-drilling started to seriously impact the supply. That much, that since 2015 local businesses have been pumping water into the lake to preserve it as a tourist destination.

How to Get to Huacachina

Huacachina is probably on most travellers itineraries and is favoured by just as many local tourists. Therefore, it’s relatively easy to get to. The desert oasis is located about 300km to the south of Lima and about 4km to the west of Ica. You can only get to Huacachina directly via Peru Hop. Otherwise you’d have to take a bus to Ica and a taxi from there.

Peru Hop – If you’re on a south of Peru tour, then booking a Peru Hop bus pass might be a great option for you. It’s a safe and favoured bus company by many and has many pros which you can read about in our bus guide to Peru. Peru Hop buses would leave from Lima early in the morning and arrive to Huacachina mid afternoon. The bus stops in Paracas first, where you can have the chance to do some incredible tours such as a boat trip to Islas Ballestas or a visit to Paracas National Reserve.

The bus then leaves around 1 PM and gets to Huacachina at about 3PM. You can also get discounts on certain accommodations in Huacachina with your Peru Hop pass. Plus, you can go on a free Pisco tasting and Tejas making tour with them.

Cruz del Sur – If you’re not doing your bus travel with Peru Hop, then you’ll have to travel to Ica either from Lima or from Paracas. Cruz del Sur is a great bus company to travel with during your stay in Peru. Depending on the type of bus you’re travelling on, tickets could cost between S/.20-S/.60 (US$10-15 / £9-12). You can buy your ticket online or at the bus station. From Ica, you’ll need to take a taxi to reach Huacachina. Be careful when picking a taxi driver as scamming is very common.

You can find bus routes and companies operating to and from your next destination on these websites: Busbud.com, and Rome2Rio.

How Long Do You Need in Huacachina

To get the most out of Huacachina, we recommend staying at least one night. You can go for a sunset dune buggy ride and sandboarding experience upon arrival because they normally leave around 4PM. If you wake up the next morning bright and early you can hike the sand dunes for some incredible views. Then you can still grab a quick breakfast at your hotel and catch the Pisco and Tejas tour offered by Peru Hop starting at 10AM. If you’re traveling with Peru Hop, they leave Huacachina to Nazca around 2:30PM.

Of course it’s going to be fast and packed, but if you’re short on time, this is how you can do a lot in Huacachina. If you’re a slower traveller like us, you can stay an extra night and spread the activities over two days. This way you can do other activities such as paddle boating, more hiking and witness a few more sunsets.

Practical Information About Visiting Huacachina

Money. Whilst you can pay by card in a few restaurants, many hotels and hostels prefer payments in cash. There’s about one ATM in Huacachina, so I wouldn’t rely on it too much. I suggest you withdraw enough Peruvian Soles before you get there to cover certain expenses such as accommodation and have some extra for activities and food just in case. Planning ahead is important, so you won’t end up without money. (It happened to us once in Mindo, Ecuador and it was a rather stressful experience).

Sand. Well, you’re going to a desert oasis and will be surrounded by sand dunes. Whilst doing all the crazy sand activities can be fun, something to bear in mind is that if you drop something, it can be swallowed by sand in minutes. So, make sure that any of your valuables such as phones and cameras are safe and secure because you might never find it again. Sand also gets everywhere, so be prepared to find some in your shoes, pockets, backpack etc. even weeks after visiting Huacachina.

Sun. It’s pretty hot all-year round in Huacachina. Therefore, make sure to always put sun cream on and drink enough water to stay hydrated. If you go hiking in the sand dunes, do it earlier in the morning or later in the evening.

Leave no Trace! Unfortunately, we had a bit of an Instagram vs. reality moment in Huacachina and noticed immediately that the beautiful sand dunes were covered in rubbish. Make sure that you don’t add to the existing problem and always dispose of your waste responsibly.

Best Things to Do in Huacachina

1. Go for a Dune Buggy Ride – The Craziest Activity in Huacachina

Arguably one of the more adrenalin fuelled activities in Huacachina is a crazy dune buggy ride. Every day at 4PM, you’ll hear many dune buggy vehicle engines starting up and heading out towards the endless desert. Another thing you’ll hear from a distance, apart from the loud dune buggies, is people screaming.

We were warned that the drivers don’t hold back and they want you to have a great time. Well, this is definitely true. The drivers are super skilled and very much enjoy their job. They will go as fast as physically possible and head for the biggest sand dunes for a more dramatic drop. These drivers also enjoy a race with each other so make sure you’re properly strapped in. The whole experience will feel like you’re on a rollercoaster.

The tours last about 2 hours, so will include quite a lot of crazy driving, some time for sandboarding on the incredibly tall sand dunes and a moment to watch the sun set. The experience costs around $US20 per person plus some tips.

Note – These vehicles will end the tour by driving close to the area where a lot of people come out to enjoy the sunset. Just make sure that you’re careful as they don’t have a dedicated path, so the vehicles can appear from anywhere. Just look at the fresh tire tracks in the sand for clues and avoid being close to them around that time.

2. Go Sandboarding

Sandboarding down the famous sand dunes of Huacachina is another popular activity you should try out. You normally have two options. You can rent a simple board – which most people do – and slide face down on your belly. It’s pretty easy and fun, although it might seem intimidating at first. Don’t worry, you can always control your speed with your feet. Once you’ve done it once, I guarantee that you’ll want to slide down even faster the next time.

Are you a snowboarder? If so, then you can rent proper snowboarding gear and actually sandboard down the dunes like you would in the snow. Now, just a fair bit of warning, even experienced snowboarders say that sandboarding is much harder. So we would only recommend doing this if you’re a confident enough snowboarder to start with. Whilst falling in sand doesn’t sound as hard as on snow, you can still hurt yourself pretty badly. I even got some bruises after going face down on a simple board.

Snowboard rentals normally cost around S/.35 ($US 10 / £8) whilst simple sandboards cost S/.15 ($US 5 / £3) for a few hours.

Top Tip – Many tours combine the dune buggy and sand boarding experiences together. Since these tours will take you farther into the desert, you can have the chance to go down some pretty steep dunes. It also gives you a quick break from the dune buggy ride and saves your calves from hiking uphill.

3. Hike Up to Some of the Highest Sand Dunes in Peru

Speaking of hiking, whilst the highest sand dune in Peru and South America is Cerro Blanco just outside of Nazca, it would be a shame not to hike up to the huge sand dunes surrounding Huacachina. You can head for any of the dunes towering above the tiny lagoon, especially if you spend more than one night in the village.

If you’re short on time, we recommend hiking up the ones to the north. Although we consider ourselves pretty fit and experienced hikers, we definitely got out of breath quickly. Hiking in sand is tougher than it looks. You’ll constantly sink in the sand, which will fill up your shoes, and make it feel like you’re walking with added ankle weights on. It’s a calf killer, but once you’re on the ridge, it’ll get easier.

The views you get from the top will be incredible and well worth your efforts. You’ll be able to see parts of Ica and the start of the Andes on one side, and endless desert on the other. At the top you’ll also appreciate just how tiny the oasis is. You can spend some time chilling on the top before you head back down. We recommend walking along the whole length of the ridge to get a good circular hike in.

Top Tips – Make sure to go on this hike early in the morning or later in the evening, just before sunset. The temperatures rise very quickly and we don’t recommend you hike in that heat. Make sure to wear sun cream for protection and have enough water with you.

4. Rent a Paddle Boat

Fancy killing an hour or so? Then why not rent a paddle boat and go around the tiny lake. Whilst the lake isn’t big, it’s nice to get a different point of view and do something slightly more relaxing than dune buggying, sandboarding and hiking.

It costs around S/.25 ($US 8 / £6) to rent a boat for about 25 minutes. You’ll also have to pay around a S/.3 ($US 2 / £1.5) tourist fee.

5. Join a Pisco Tasting Tour

If you’ve been sampling some Pisco Sour’s since arriving to Peru, then it’s high time to learn more about the spirit itself. Pisco is the national drink of Peru, and is produced in this region of the country.

What is Pisco exactly? – Pisco is basically a type of brandy produced in parts of Peru and Chile. If you didn’t know, Chile’s national drink is also Pisco. Although they are very popular in their native countries, there’s not much world-wide knowledge about Pisco unlike Tequila for example. It is made by distilling fermented Peruvian grape musts and juices. The most popular way you’ll consume Pisco on your Peruvian (and perhaps Chilean) adventures is through Pisco Sour’s. This cocktail mixes Pisco with key lime juice, simple syrup, egg white and Angostura or Amargo bitters.

By joining a Pisco tour you can visit a Pisco Vineyard where you can dive into the drink’s history, how it’s made and of course you’ll get the chance to sample it. We visited Bodega Nietto and had an absolute blast. The tasting part of the tour was probably the most fun we’ve ever had at any tastings before. We tried at least seven different flavours and learnt some rhymes and traditions. After all the tasting, we had a great lunch before the tour ended.

6. Join a Tejas Making Workshop

If you have a sweet tooth, then you should join a Tejas making workshop during your time in Huacachina. Teja is a dumpling-shaped delicacy from the Ica region of Peru. It was originally made with pecans and thick manjar blanco filling which is similar to dulce de leche. It is then covered with a thick sugar-based fondant. Nowadays it can contain dried fruit or other nuts and they also have a chocolate version too called chocotejas.

If you join a workshop, you’ll have the chance to make your own Teja, which might seem easy at first, but it definitely requires a bit more experience to get the shape just right. After the workshop you can enjoy your own Teja and will also have the chance to purchase some extras either as a gift or a snack for later.

If you like it, then make sure to buy some extras there because whilst you may find Tejas in some other parts of Peru, it’s not as common as in the Ica region.

Top Tip – If you have a Peru Hop bus pass, then you can enjoy a Pisco tasting and Tejas making tour for free starting at 10AM every day. Note that lunch isn’t included in the tour, but we recommend having something to eat there because you won’t have time for lunch after you get back to Huacachina if you’re leaving for Nazca on the same day.

7. Watch the Sunset from a Sand Dune

Your time in Huacachina wouldn’t be complete without watching the magical sunset from one of the sand dunes. If you only have one night in the village and you’re doing the dune buggy tour, you’ll have the chance to watch it further out in the desert which is amazing. However, if you’re leaving the next day, then you can’t enjoy the sunset with the oasis view.

In case you’re staying an extra night, you can then hike up to one of the sand dunes with a few drinks and fully take it all in. (Just make sure not to leave any of your waste behind!).

Where to Eat in Huacachina

You’ll quickly notice that Huacachina is mainly made up of hotels, hostels, tour operators and restaurants. There’s really nothing else here. So you’ll have a few options for dining. Since we stayed at Wild Olive we had breakfast included and then got an additional 10% discount every time we ate lunch or dinner there. They’re always very busy because they’re considered one of the best places to eat in the village.

La Casa de Bamboo was our other favourite since here you can get a meal deal that includes a main, a dessert and a drink. They also have a vegan option so it’s great for those on a vegan diet. You can always get something vegetarian at other restaurants.

Final Thoughts on the Best Things to Do in Huacachina, Peru

Despite our initial shock to see the huge amount of rubbish, we really enjoyed our stay in Huacachina. Staying there for 3 nights might seem like a lot for some. However, it gave us the chance to spread out all the activities and have some time to just sit on top of the sand dunes and really take it all in.

I never thought that I’d ever say, as someone who doesn’t like rollercoasters, that the dune buggy ride was definitely one of my favourite activities. Although going down face first on those massive sand dunes made me very proud of myself too. Learning more about Peru’s national drink and local delicacies was also a fantastic experience.

Have you ever been to Huacachina before? If so, what was your favourite activity? If not, which activity would be on top of your list? Let me know in the comments below.