Have you heard of the otherworldly Huacachina oasis in Southern Peru?
One of the more recent popular highlights to surface from this spectacular country, the Huacachina oasis is a great trip to make from Lima. Here we’ll find all kinds of amazing things to experience, which range from Sandboarding to trying some of the best Pisco varieties you can find in the country.
In this guide we’ll cover some of the very best reasons to visit the Huacachina oasis, and why it is a must-see when exploring Peru.
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Below we’ll now explore the best reasons to visit Huacachina, and why you must add this trip to your plans when in and around Lima.
Whilst we can find other smaller deserts and dunes all around Peru such as in Nazca (where we can find the mystical Nazca Lines), Huacachina is home to the overall largest and tallest of them all. The Ica Desert has some of the tallest dunes in all of South America, with some measuring as large as 500m in height. From Huacachina we can easily walk to the ones directly north or south of the town, which both offer some extremely memorable views over the town and desert. When hiking up be sure to bring lots of water and a hat, since the sun is strong here.
The official national drink of Peru, Pisco is a true alcoholic favorite for both locals and tourists alike when traveling around the country. It’s from this drink that the infamous Pisco Sour is made, which can be sampled in almost all bars throughout Lima. Pisco is best grown in dry environments, and the area around Huacachina is perfect – which makes for some of the very best Pisco around. There are many famous wineries worth visiting from the town, where you can take a tour and learn how they are made. Be sure to leave some space free in your bag too, since you can also buy bottles for a great price which include Pisco Sour premixes as well as tasty Pisco Creams.
One of the most memorable and exhilarating activities that you can do when in Peru, Sandboarding is an absolute must when in Huacachina. After a dune buggy ride through the desert, you’ll then make your way down multiple giant sand dunes! We suggest laying down if you are nervous or if it’s your first time, where it’s much easier to control the descents down. Regardless you’ll have an instructor there to brief you on how to ride, as well as having a small dune to first practice on. Here at TravelBuddiesPeru we include Sandboarding in our all-inclusive day trip from Lima, which includes high-quality equipment as well as the very best instructors.
Photo by George Alvarez
Are you looking for more adrenaline and heart-pumping moments around your trip through Peru? Then you simply can’t beat a sand dune buggy ride around Huacachina! Usually included during your Sandboarding experience in Huacachina, here you’ll want to prepare yourself as you get strapped in and scream as you fly over some mega giant sand dunes! Again there’s no need to worry since all drivers are professionally trained and know the routes very well, so you’ll be in safe hands. We advise putting all things that could fall off (such as a hat or sunglasses) inside your bag by your feet to prevent you from losing them during the ride.
It’s very easy to get to Huacachina from Lima, and it’s also the same case for visiting other highlights around the Ica region. One of the very best nearby destinations is the Ballestas Islands, which is home to Sea Lions, Cormorants as well as the famed Humboldt Penguin. Whilst a bit further away, you could (with some more effort) visit the Nazca Lines and also organize your own flight over them to get the very best angles. We cover all of the above destinations on our most popular day trip from Lima, which includes all entry tickets as well as private, comfortable transport between them all.
Whilst most of the activities in Huacachina focus in and around the daytime, the late afternoon also offers us a special experience. Here in the Ica region we can see many beautiful sunsets in places like Paracas along the coast, however Huacachina has to be among the very best. Be sure to give yourself sufficient time to hike up the large nearby dunes that we mentioned earlier (the ones that tower above the town), where you’ll have the very best views over the Huacachina oasis as well as out into the endless orange dunes of the remote desert.
And that’s all for this guide on why you must visit the Huacachina oasis in Peru.
The town itself is a real delight to witness, and by climbing the surrounding dunes we can take some really memorable photo shots. However that’s only scratching the surface, since here we can also visit Pisco Wineries, enjoy incredible sunsets and even bizarrely spot Penguins not so far away from the desert.
Are you ready to have the most memorable experience possible in Huacachina and the Ica region? Then check out our all-action day tour as we visit the desert town, Paracas as well as getting to fly over the ancient Nazca Lines.
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