Huacachina Ica – Complete Guide To Peru’s Desert Oasis

Huacachina Ica is one of the most famous destinations in all of Peru!

This incredible desert oasis truly is a remarkable vista that has recently become an internet legend thanks to everyone’s favorite app, Instagram!

I have put together this complete guide to Huacachina Ica Oasis with everything you need to know including how to get here, things to do, and where to stay.

WHERE IS HUACACHINA ICA?

Huacachina is located in the southwestern region of Peru approximately 300km south of Lima, Peru’s capital city.

Click here to see the location on Google maps.

Huacachina is the name of the village which is built around a small oasis surrounded by enormous sand dunes. Ica is the name of the nearby city that’s just 5kms away from the Huacachina Oasis.

HOW TO GET TO HUACACHINA OASIS

The best way to reach this desert oasis is by bus. The most reputable bus company in Peru that I discovered to be the most comfortable and reliable is Peru Hop.

They offer many different bus routes and itineraries throughout Peru and Bolivia and I highly recommend traveling with them.

For this particular trip, there is a bus from Lima to Huacachina Ica that departs daily and the journey time is around 4 hours.

Another popular route is from Arequipa, a city in the south of Peru. There are daily buses from Arequipa and the journey time is around 14 hours, with a stop for lunch.

Click Here to visit the Peru Hop website for more information and to book your bus tickets online.

Image source: Peru Hop

HUACACHINA TOURS

If you decide you want to book a Huacachina Tour as opposed to a self-guided trip, you can check out what itineraries are available on the Get Your Guide website.

Get Your Guide has many different Huacachina Tours on offer which includes transport, sandboarding, and buggies in the Huacachina sand dunes and even a boat tour to nearby islands in Paracas.

Click Here to search for all Huacachina Tours and book online ahead of time!

THINGS TO DO IN HUACACHINA ICA

Depending on what time you arrive, the first thing you’re going to want to do is head over to South America’s ONLY natural desert oasis which is just a short walk from anywhere inside the village.

Needless to say, this one of the must-visit places in Peru you should add to your itinerary.

Sandboarding down the mammoth Huacachina sand dunes is another one of the best things to do when visiting this amazing Peru oasis.

Some accommodations offer complimentary sandboards for guests to use otherwise you can rent them from the locals in town. Grab a board, hike for around twenty minutes to the top of the highest dune and take the plunge!

Once you’re all done with sandboarding you can jump in one of the dune buggies with an experienced driver and zap around the desert dunes. Be sure to pack your GoPro camera to capture all the action. A dune buggy tour will set you back around $25.

Another one of the best things to do is watch the sunrise or sunset from the top of the nearest sand dunes.

I was amazed at the amount of cloud movement going on when I hiked to the top of the Huacachina dunes for sunrise one morning, watching them sweeping in and around the oasis, up and over the dunes, and into the oblivion.

Watching the sunrise was by far the best moment that I enjoyed most during my visit to this majestic desert oasis!

MUST READ: 21 BEST TRAVEL ACCESSORIES FOR ANY TRIP

When the sun goes down, the bars and restaurants come to life.

There is a party almost every night of the week and you can find a cranking bar with good music and cheap drinks, usually kicking off at around 11 pm.

There is no shortage of restaurants dotted around the Huacachine oasis offering just about everything from classic Peruvian dishes to pizza and pasta. Try getting into a restaurant in time for happy hour, kick back and reminisce on how epic your day just was!

THE LEGEND OF HUACACHINA OASIS

Peruvian legend has it that the oasis was created when a native princess stripped naked to bathe, but after looking in a mirror she spotted a male hunter approaching her from behind.

She fled leaving her mirror behind, which turned into a lake. It is rumored that the princess still resides at the bottom of the Huacachina Oasis as a mermaid.

Swimming in the oasis is possible; locals believe the water and mud to be therapeutic, ridding those of arthritis, asthma, and bronchitis.

If you’re not game for a swim or mud scrub, relax on the sandy shores of the Huacachina oasis or rent one of the paddle boats to take out onto the lagoon.

Related Guide: Paracas Travel Guide

WHAT TO PACK FOR PERU

When visiting Peru, here is a list of items I highly recommend bringing with you:

FINAL THOUGHTS – HUACACHINA OASIS

I hope you found this article useful and if you have any questions, please leave me a comment below this post and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

For a quicker response, be sure to join Jonny Melon’s Travel Tribe on Facebook and post your questions or recommendations to our awesome community.

TRAVEL RESOURCES FOR YOUR NEXT TRIP

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or it’s your first trip overseas, here are some useful travel resources to help you kick-start your next adventure!

THANKS FOR READING

Hey friend, thanks for reading this guide!

Please know this post may contain affiliate links. When making a purchase through one of my links, I earn a small kickback at no extra cost to you and it’s a big help to keep the site up and running. Rest assured, I only promote products and services that I personally use and recommend.

Click here to find out how you can support the site organically.

Many thanks!

PIN IT FOR LATER