Huacachina abbreviated from the local word “wakachina qucha” which means “hidden lagoon”, is a village built around a small oasis and surrounded by sand dunes in southwestern Peru.
The Beautiful Village of Huacachina has a permanent population of about 100 people, although it hosts tens of thousands of tourists every year.
Huacachina is built around a small natural lake in the desert. It is generally called “the oasis of America”,
Destination Details
| Country | Peru |
| Province & Region | City of Ica in the Ica District of Ica Province |
| Language | Spanish |
| Currency | Sol (PEN) |
| Time Zone | UTC−5 (PET) |
Local Legends and Myth
According to local legends, the water and mud of the area are therapeutic.
LOCALS AND TOURISTS OFTEN BATHE IN THE WATER OR MUD TO CURE DISEASES SUCH AS ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATISM, ASTHMA AND BRONCHITIS.
Activities To Do In Huacachina
- Listen to sandboarding and dunes in the Huacachina dunes.
- Excursion to the vineyards of Pisco (free tour of Peru Hop).
- Stroll through the city of Ica.
This small village hosts less than 1,000 inhabitants, but each day new influxes of travelers come to attend one of the essential activities of Peru: sandboarding through the famous dunes of Huacachina! Local guides take travelers to these dunes aboard incredibly powerful (and safe) buggies, flying over huge bumps in what appears to be an endless sand desert.
It’s great in itself, but it’s even better because travelers have the opportunity to sand some of these huge dunes!
This can be both exciting and stressful and you often get a face full of sand, but it’s nothing that a quick shower can not solve! Snowboarding is world-famous, but sandboarding is exciting, faster and much cheaper, a must for anyone visiting Huacachina.
In addition to Huacachina, Ica is also famous for its Pisco vineyards and vineyards. Pisco is the national drink of Peru and Ica is often called the homeland of pisco.
We will take you on a tour of the vineyards of Pisco where you will discover the history of Pisco, discover how it is made and try some examples of this refreshing drink.
Peru is very proud of its Pisco and you can not come to Ica without a few glasses of Pisco!
Huacachina Safety Advice
- Huacachina is very small, try to take money because there are no ATMs.
- Take sunscreen with you, it is almost always nice and warm.
- Pay attention to pickpockets and never carry your passport/credit card unless 100% needed.
If you take a public bus and get off at Ica, be very careful about the taxi you take for Huacachina. We know that many taxis in Ica drive customers to the hotels with which they do business or try to deceive tourists in another way. So be particularly careful if you have to take a taxi from Ica to Huacachina.
Visit the dunes in the late evening to admire the sunset.
The incredible sunset from the dunes is a place not to be missed when you reach Huacachina. Climb the dunes on foot or watch the sunset at the end of a buggy ride.
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