I flew out of my seat as we went over the dune. While I knew this was coming, I hadn’t expected this exactly. This was why we came to Huacachina, Peru, to explore the desert oasis, ride dune buggies, and surf down in the heat.
But I hadn’t expected this to feel so much like a roller coaster.
One of our cousins worked for a tour guide company, Cieneguilla tours. So, pretty late at night, we decided we’d book the trip for the next day and go on an adventure. It was my wife’s birthday, and she loved experiencing things like this instead of presents and cake. Plus, we had so much family who could watch our little ones while we spent the day exploring the country my wife had spent so much time in over the years.
After exploring the desert like Indiana Jones, I stood atop the sand mountain and looked down on the oasis below. It had been a whirlwind day of exploration, but that’s all part of the fun of this birthday adventure.
Here’s everything you need to know if you intend to take a tour to Huacachina, this Peruvian gem.
All The Stops
We didn’t know all that the tour would bring with it. We were staying in Lima, Peru, and we had to be at the pickup spot for the bus at 4:00 AM. Other than that, we knew we would be headed to Huacachina, which was four hours away.
Luckily, we made a few stops on the way to break up the travel.
Breakfast
Bathrooms Grade: D -shared toilet paper dispenser, and no toilet seats.
After hopping on the bus at 4, we made one stop about an hour away for Breakfast. The shop offered various grilled bread and breakfast plates. They also had juices, coffee, and tea. I felt so sleepy still that I didn’t register much here.
After breakfast, we got back on the bus, and the tour gave us a brownbag with goodies. I heard it was chicharrones, so I didn’t open it until much later. The bag actually had some crackers, a juice, and a breakfast bar.
Paracas
Bathrooms Grade: B Pay to use. Limited Toilet paper.
After breakfast, I fell back asleep on the bus for an hour until our next stop in Paracas.
In Paracas, we were loaded onto a boat and taken out to view some little islands. Most of the islands were teeming with animals and birds. We witnessed sea lions, penguins, and some other sea life.
But the star of the attraction was the Candelabra. This is a giant geoglyph that looks like a candle which had been carved into the side of a mountain.
After the boat trip (which I struggled to stay awake during the ride back to shore), we were let loose in Paracas to shop for a little while.
Dune Buggies, Sand Surfing, and Huacachina Oasis
Bathrooms Grade: B- – Pay to use. Limited toilet paper. Clean, though.
After another bus ride, we reached our main destination: Huacachina. We started with the dune buggies. Our bus divided into three dune buggies, which held nine to ten people. Three vehicles rode out to dominate the desert mountains.
We stopped to take some photos from the top of a dune down toward the oasis below. This moment felt like we were on Tatooine, looking down on Mos Eisley spaceport.
We got back in the vehicles and rode to another dune, where we put ourselves on mini surfboards and surfed down the sand.
Once everyone in the group had their turn, we took another quick and scary dune buggy ride back to where we started. We were given thirty minutes to explore the oasis, which had a nice green space and numerous shops and restaurants.
Lunch and Wine Tasting
Bathroom Grade: A– Free to use. Clean. Toilet Paper.
We moved on to the last adventure of the day: lunch and a wine tasting. We traveled about an hour from Huacachina to a restaurant called Viñas de Ica. The restaurant offered many Peruvian options to eat and drink. It also offered a pool to jump into.
Then we had a fifteen-minute or so presentation of the wines on offer. The host spoke entirely in Spanish, so I didn’t know what was happening, but the wine tasted exquisite.
None of this was included.
The Stop On The Way Back
Bathroom Grade: D-– Charged to use bathroom. Someone had to pour a bucket of water into the toilet after use to flush. Limited toilet paper.
After the wine, we made the four-hour trek back to Lima. We made one stop for bathrooms and snacks at this strip of shops off the highway. There were so many people at this stop, so it must have been popular. Inside, they had grocery items for sale, as well as fresh food getting scooped up. There were stores on either side of our stop in the strip center, but they didn’t have much inside them.
There was a man selling ice cream outside as well, but we ran out of time to buy any.
After we left the stop, we still had over two hours to drive. It felt excruciating to sit there and know we still had so far to go. However, we drove up the Peruvian coast and the sunset just over it. The pink and orange light punctuated an adventurous birthday. One that will be difficult to top.
What To Bring
I had never been to a desert before, so I wasn’t sure what to bring. After attending, here’s what I would recommend taking.
- Athletic, or lightweight shirt
- shorts or thin pants
- socks and shoes
- a hat
- sunglasses
- sunscreen
- a bandana for covering your face (although there were plenty of people selling these around Paracas)
- A phone charger — the bus had USB-A plugs, but no USB-C. We plugged in to charge our phones at the restaurant because I didn’t have any USB-A cables. A battery might be a practical option as well, but it might also get hot.
- Snacks — unless you plan to buy from the little stores.
- Water and a cup that can keep water cold
- Soles to purchase things and tips
- A change of clothes and/or bathing suit if you want to jump in the small pool
- slip-on shoes for after the desert and the way home
- Bonus: You might bring a roll of toilet paper for yourself. You have to pay at every restroom on the way, and they give you a very limited supply of paper.
The Good
The boat tour turned out to be surprisingly fun. We hadn’t expected to get on a boat at any time, so to go explore and see the creatures out in their natural habitat felt like something we don’t always get to do. To follow that up with the Candelabra Nasca Line started the day off with excitement. My wife had always wanted to see the Nasca Lines.
The dune buggies felt like a roller coaster ride. I felt nervous we would tip over as we crested every hill. Unlike a roller coaster, each turn felt slippery, which also added to the adrenaline.
Standing up on the mountain, looking down on the oasis, felt surreal. I really felt how special it was that this town had survived. It gave off Star Wars vibes, as if I stood above a starport of adventure.
The restaurant had good food. It was also nice to relax and get some food. We rested our feet in the pool, but we hadn’t brought swimsuits or towels to jump in. It might have helped with the recovery home.
The Bad
I struggled to be happy when the bus left at four in the morning. While I slept after I got on the bus, it wasn’t a good sleep. My wife felt stressed about the bus driver falling asleep at the wheel since it was so early, which caused her to be unable to sleep.
I travel quite a bit, and I’m used to the toilet situation in other countries; however, I don’t feel like these places showed the best of the country. The last stop felt especially bad as someone had to dump a bucket of water into the toilet after you went.
The return to Lima felt excruciating. It was a long drive, and I was tired, but it felt too late in the day to sleep. My internet went out, so I wish I had brought my AirPods so I could have listened to something.
Sitting in the back of the bus and not speaking Spanish, I didn’t know what was happening most of the time. If you don’t speak Spanish and don’t have someone in your group who can, you might get a little lost. Even my wife who is fluent in Spanish couldn’t hear, which made every stop a surprise.
Would I Sign Up Again?
I had a lot of fun on this adventure to the sand dunes of Huacachina, Peru. Even better, the entire adventure only cost about $47 per person. While that doesn’t include any food (except for that brown bag) or restrooms during the trip, it feels like a great deal.
The boat ride, dune buggies, and sand surfing were highlights of the excursion, and things I would do all over again. However, that drive back to Lima sucked.
I’m sure we’ll be back to Peru to see family, and once my kids are old enough to go, I’ll definitely try to take them. Because overall, it was a great experience. I saw new sights, did new things, and truly enjoyed the culture.
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