In the middle of the Ica desert in Perú, there is a unique place in the world: the Huacachina Oasis. It might seem a mirage but it is actually a natural oasis, surrounded by local flora and a place that you can’t miss on a trip to Perú. This post is all about Huacachina and its famous sandboarding and buggy tour.
On this post you will find:
How to get to the Oasis of Huacachina
Huacachina is located just 5 kilometres from the city of Ica. From Ica you can easily reach Huacachina by taxi.
To get to Ica you can take a bus from other cities in Perú or travel by car, since the city doesn’t have an airport. The best way to get there is taking a bus, the trip lasts 4 hours. I traveled to Ica from Arequipa on a night bus from Cruz del Sur.
If you don’t have much time, a great option is to book a full day tour from Lima to Huacachina Oasis.
Where to stay in Huacachina
Huacachina is a small place and there aren’t many options in terms of accommodation. If you want to live the full experience and spend the night in a tent in the desert, I recommend you stay at Ecocamp Huacachina.
The rooms are tents (very large and comfortable), it has a pool and shared bathrooms. It is one of the best accommodations you will find in the Oasis so make your reservation in advance. I loved this place.
Price of Ecocamp Huacachina on Booking
Buggy and sandboarding tour in Huacachina Oasis
The most popular tour in Huacachina is definitely the buggy and sandboarding tour in the desert. Huacachina Oasis is surrounded by large sand dunes, which makes it the perfect place to practice sandboarding.
You will notice that the prices of the tours vary greatly so it is important you know exactly what it includes. Most of the tours include the buggy ride (in group) and generic boards, which are not the same boards used for sandboarding, but low quality boards which you can use like a sledge.
Sandboarding in Huacachina Oasis
If you want to do real sandboarding in Huacachina, you have to look for a tour that includes the complete sandboard equipment (board,boots and helmet) like this one.
It includes the buggy ride,the sandboard equipment and a class so you can really learn and understand how the board works. This is ideal for beginners like me, who’ve never practiced sandboard or snowboard.
The first 45 minutes are spent in some dunes located next to the oasis, where the instructor will explain the basics about sandboarding. This is the hardest part of the training because you go up the dunes like 10 times, and you get really exhausted.
Then the buggy adventure begins. You will join another group of people to ride the buggies with them.
The buggy stops at different dunes so you can sandboard. In our case we were the only ones in the group sandboarding. The rest of the people in the buggy had the generic boards and went down on their stomachs.
The buggy ride is really fun because the driver goes crazy in the middle of the dunes and feels like a roller coaster. The tour ends around 6:30 PM with the sunset view in the oasis.
Tips for sandboarding in Huacachina:
- Wear sunscreen. The sun in the desert is VERY strong.
- Wear sunglasses. They are essential to practice sandboard so you avoid getting sand in your eyes.
- Wear comfortable clothes. The best thing is to wear ankle pants or leggings so the sand doesn’t scratch you when you fall.
- Bring water. If you’re going to sandboard, the training part is really exhausting.
- Don’t bring unnecessary stuff. You’re going to regret bringing things that you won’t use. Carry only the necessary: camera, sunglasses, sunscreen and water.
What to do in Huacachina Oasis
Huacachina Oasis is one of the most attractive sites in Perú. In the sixties, Huacachina was one of the most exclusive resorts of the country and at that time houses, hotels and a pier bordering the lagoon were built. There is not much to do in the oasis itself more than walking, visiting the lagoon or going to the dunes, so I recommend you spend only 1 or 2 days on your Perú itinerary.
There are also full day trips tours available from Lima, including the buggy & sandboard tour, a 2-hour boat tour of the Ballestas Islands and the transport between Ica-Huacachina.
Other useful posts:
- 2 weeks in Perú Itinerary
- Rainbow Mountain tour from Cusco
- Taking the Vistadome train to Machu Picchu
- Colca Lodge Hotel review
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6 comments
[…] Huacachina Oasis has an arid and warm climate all year round. Temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C. Even if you travel in winter it is important to wear sunscreen, and light clothing. […]
[…] small but there are several hotels and restaurants. The most popular activity in Huacachina is the buggy and sandboard tour in the desert. Other than that, there isn’t really much more to do so 1 or 2 days are […]
[…] Huacachina sandboarding and buggies tour […]
[…] Prismo Beach: a small city located south from Morro Bay where you can enjoy the beaches and sandboarding on its giant sand dunes. It looks like a really cool activity and reminds me a lot of the sand dunes in Ica, Peru. […]
Cool!! I’ve always wanted to do sandboarding, seems to be a very nice activity, tell me please how does it feel!! Did you enjoy it? Any advices for a girl who wants to do it in a nearly future?
[…] South America […]
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