A day in Huacachina, Peru!
Updated: Jun 22
Nestled around the Laguna Huacachina, the town of Huacachina is where the action's at. A lagoon fueled by a natural spring, decked out with palm trees, restaurants boasting happy hour piscos all around – that's the vibe. But what's even cooler is the massive sand dunes that surround this place, giving off both Instagram-worthy views and setting the scene for the epic adventures like sandboarding and dune buggy rides!
Where did we stay?
We booked a night at the Wild Rover hostel, a hostel which is Irish owned and is known for a party! We booked a 14 bed dorm, the beds were the pod style beds which are my favourite type as they feel more private. They had activities on every night to entertain guests and we just happened to be staying on a Monday night which was Mixology Class and Quiz night. The hostel itself is pretty big, with a nice addition of a pool as well as an onsite restaurant and bar. There was drinks deals such as 6 beers for 60 soles or happy hour pisco or vodka at 2 for 18 soles, so we were happy enough with out choice!
Dune buggy and sand boarding
The main reason backpackers visit Huacachina is to take part in a buggy tour and sand boarding. So, how does it work? We decided we wanted to do the 2 hour tour at sundown, so we first went to our hostel to check out prices. One thing we’ve always found is that hostels crank up the price compared to those tour agencies just around the corne. So we always go to price it in the hostel, then check out the other options to compare. We were offered the trip for 70 soles in our hostel, but after talking around we managed to find one for 45 soles, but we do think we could’ve found an even better deal. But, that’s our tip to any backpacker out there that’s sticking to a tight budget, always try other tour agencies before settling for the hostels one.
Our tour was a 4pm start and it began with us walking up the first little sand dune and paying for the tourist tax ticket, which was S./3.60 each. Just over the first dune and you are greeted with hundreds of buggies. We were given our buggy and introduced to our driver and away we went! If you’re not up for an adrenaline rush then this is not ofr you! We were sent flying over the dunes, ripping up the sides of them and being propelled back down them while the driver screams “I AM GOOD DRIVER!”I have to say, I think we all questioned that a few times, especially on the dark journey home where we narrowly missed getting stuck in a ditch at high speeds, but that’s all part of the fun, I guess.
After the first 15/20 mins of wacky racing around the dunes, we stopped as if on a rollercoaster, just dangling over the edge of an incredibly steep drop. I had a mini heart attack when he then told us this is where we were getting out for our first sand boarding stop. All while having 2 wheels completely over the edge of the drop. Half of our group were snowboarding/skiing down, whereas we were going to be sand boarding on our bellies down the dunes. I’m not sure if this is why we were at such a steep drop for our first go, as when we were booking it the lady said you stop at a beginner then medium then advanced drop and if this were the beginners then I dread to think what the advanced one looks like. So we trotted over to the edge where waxed up our boards and myself and another English girl looked at each other and then down to the other group who seemed to be on a considerably smaller looking hill. As we all set off one by one, we were shown that to go faster, you have to keep your legs apart and up off the ground. Or the one I was more interested in, was to slow down, you keep your legs apart and dig your toes into the sand. Though I thought about quitting while I was ahead multiple times, I finally gave in as I was the last one standing at the top and realised if I was going to give up, that meant getting back into that buggy that was dangling over the edge and so I fancied my chances with the sand instead. A mouth full of sand and a couple of screams later, we had all made it to the bottom and I was so glad I hadn’t given up as it was a lot of fun.
We had 3 more stops after this, with each drop getting longer and steeper. Every single one I thought, surely the next one can’t be any worse than this, but every time they proved me wrong! Though the more we did it, the less and less scary it became. We also had a stop on one of the dunes to watch the sunset and take photos on the buggy. This was truly a magical moment with the cloudless skies and the bright orange sun projecting itself over the desert landscape. Once the sun came down and the colder night drew in, we drove back to the buggy park on a rather hair-raising journey of twists, turns and near ditch misses! But before long, we were back on safe terrain and joining the line in the hostel for showers after bringing half the dunes back in our clothes.
So, what else is there to do in a day in Huacachina?
Paddle Boats
For a chill afternoon, hop on a paddle boat and glide across the lagoon. You can rent these bad boys right at the lake's edge. Bonus: it's a perfect family-friendly move if you've got little adventurers tagging along.
Wine and Pisco tours!
The Ica region is the grape-and-pisco capital of Peru. Don't miss the chance to tour a local vineyard and have a few sneaky tipples! Sip on Peru's best pisco sours, soak in gorgeous views, and get a taste of the winery life. It's a solid move for a laid-back afternoon.
Dune Hike
When in Huacachina, lace up those sneakers and hike up the dunes. Trust me, the view from the top is pure magic. If you're around for the evening, catch a sunset – it's like Peru's version of a fairytale.
Epic Day Trips
Huacachina's like the hub for southern Peru's coolest spots. Take a jaunt to Paracas National Reserve on a sand buggy, cruise the Ballestas Islands, and, of course, scope out the Nazca Lines. Your travel bucket list will thank you.
So, if Huacachina is looking like a bit of you, what are you waiting for? Be sure to check out our instagram twoeejitsabroad for all our travel tips and daily budgets as we travel around South and Central America. See you there!
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