Visiting the Huacachina is discovering a hidden oasis among the dunes of the Ica desert where people come mainly to do the sandboarding and tubular tour, and the party!
It is a destination that you can easily include in your Peru itinerary since it is located south of Lima, on the road to Nazca and Arequipa, near Paracas.
I present to you my definitive guide to La Huacachina where I have put together practical information for sandboarding and dune buggying, and all the other activities to do in the area.
I also explain how to get to La Huacachina on your own or with an agency, presenting you the best tours, and my hotel recommendations for all budgets.
So, what to see and do in La Huacachina?
Huacachina is not a mirage.
A few minutes from the center of the city of Ica, the Huacachina is an oasis in the desert, whose heart is in a pond that for years was very popular for the medicinal properties of its waters. Currently, it is surrounded by restaurants with a tasty gastronomic offer and bars that are very lively, especially at night. You can also take a nice walk to walk around it and even navigate it with pedal boats.
At night, the recommendation is to enjoy the starry sky from the water's edge, or on top of the dunes that surround it.
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Water comes from tears.
The word "Huacachina" in Quechua means "woman who cries". Legend has it that a beautiful green-eyed woman was saddened by the death of her beloved in Inca times, and with her tears this magnificent greenish lagoon was formed in the middle of the desert in the Peruvian department of Ica. For years it was believed to have healing powers, and was a place of pilgrimage for people wishing to improve their health. On the boulevard that surrounds the lagoon there is a sculpture of a mermaid that reminds her.
Unique in America.
The Huacachina is also called "Oasis of the Americas", because it is the largest of its kind of natural origin that can be found in the American continent.
The legend
The stories tell about the origin of this oasis that a beautiful Inca princess known as Huacca China spent her days in this quiet place. This woman had the gift of making anyone who crossed her path fall in love with the special sound of her beautiful voice.
On one occasion, when the princess was walking, a man observed her and was dazzled by her beauty, in such a way that he decided to approach her. The princess decided to run away from him. Along the way, the lady's suit began to tear in the undergrowth until she finally fell off and became a sheet of sand. She also dropped the mirror that she always carried with her and, when it broke, she was transformed into a lagoon where she submerged and became a mermaid.
Another legend tells that this lagoon was born from the tears of the same princess who wept for the death of her beloved. From this story originates the name Huacachina, which means "weeping woman" in Quechua.
How to get to Huacachina?
Public bus to Ica and then a taxi to Huacachina
To get to Huacachina by bus, you would need to take a bus from Lima to Ica. Once in Ica, he would have to find a local taxi and then go to the oasis of Huacachina. To get out of Huacachina, he would have to do the same. The Lonely Planet states that this is the only way to get to Huacachina.
What you should do in Huacachina?
- Sandboarding and Sandboxes in Huacachina.
- Pisco vineyard tour.
- Stroll around the city of Ica.
This small town is home to less than 1,000 local people, but every day a new influx of backpackers arrives to do one of the must-do activities in Peru…Slide down the famous dunes of Huacachina! Local guides take backpackers on a tour of these dunes in incredibly powerful (and safe!) dune gliders, flying over large humps in what seems like endless desert. This in itself is impressive, but it gets even better when tourists have the option of sliding down some of these huge dunes! This can be exciting as well as spooky and will often end with a sandy face, but it's nothing a quick shower can't fix! Snowboarding is world famous, but sandboarding is harder, faster and much cheaper… an absolute must do for anyone visiting Huacachina.
In addition to Huacachina, Ica is also famous for its Pisco and its vineyards. Pisco is the national drink of Peru, and Ica is often called the home of Pisco. We take you on a tour of the Pisco vineyards where you will discover the history of Pisco, see how it is made, as well as try some samples of this delicious refreshing drink. Peruvians are very proud of their Pisco and you simply cannot come to Ica and not have a few glasses of Pisco!
What you should see in Huacachina?
- Visit the dunes in the afternoon to watch the sunset.
- The incredible sunset view from the sand dunes is something not to be missed if you arrive in Huacachina. Climb the dunes on foot or watch the sunset at the end of your dune buggies tour.
Safety Tips in Huacachina
- Huacachina is very small, try to bring cash as there are no ATMs.
- Bring sunscreen, it's almost always sunny and hot.
- Never take your passport/credit card with you unless 100% necessary.
- If you take a public bus and get off at Ica, be VERY careful which taxi you take to Huacachina. Many taxis in Ica are known to take people to hotels they have deals with, or try to rip off tourists in other ways, so be very careful if you have to take a taxi from Ica to Huacachina.
Best Tours in Peru
Many are the routes that take you to Machu Picchu, but none is like the Inca Trail Tours, the most famous pedestrian path in the Americas. After flying from the capital of Peru, Lima, you will arrive in Cusco to walk for four days along a path through forests and dense fog, millenary stone steps and discovering the ruins of ancient fortifications and Inca cities, and all the time enjoying majestic views.
- Salcantay Trek Peru to Machu Picchu 5 days
- Palcoyo Mountain Tour
- Cusco to Manu Tour
- Humantay Lake Day Trip
- Huchuy Qosqo Day Hike
- Half Day Cusco City Tour
- Llactapata Inca Trail to Machu Picchu
- Qoyllur Riti Festival
- Apurimac River Rafting
- Vilcabamba Trek to Machu Picchu
- Inti Raymi and Machu Picchu Tour
- Salkantay Inca Trail Combo
- Waqrapukara Peru Full Day Tour
If you want to visit Machu Picchu, we recommend you to book your Machu Picchu Ticket in advance, so you will enjoy your Vacation in Machu Picchu without any problem.
