Nestled in the vastness of the Atacama desert is the tiny desert oasis town of Huacachina. This village of 100 permanent residents is home to the only desert oasis in Latin America. You can walk around the oasis and the minuscule town that surrounds it in less than an hour. Outside of this tiny speck of water, greenery and civilization; are sand dunes so large they look like mountains. For a small fee, you can have a truly wild experience being driven up and down these mountains of sand on dune buggies that resemble ferocious metal monsters of motorized doom, which are driven by drivers for whom the terrified screams of tourists being driven down a rail-less roller coaster of sand is as mundane as clocking in for a day at work at the book-binding factory. Come and see the phenomenon of the only desert oasis town in Latin America, but what you’ll likely remember most is your Mad Max experience Dune buggying and sandboarding in Huacachina, Peru.
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Transportation:
Peru Hop transport leg from Paracas to Huacachina picks passengers up Los Frayles hotel in the centre of Paracas and drops off at the Wild Rover hostel in the centre of Paracas (as both Paracas and Huacachina are tiny towns just a few blocks in radius, Peru Hop picks-up and drops off at a central hotel in both towns – about 5 minutes walking from all accommodation options)
Where to stay in Huacachina:
The Wild Rover hostel is a bit of a destination in and of itself – if you’re up for a party. I stayed at the Wild Rover not knowing it was a party hostel – and can say that there is basically pounding music all day and all night into the wee hours of the morning. Thankfully, I’m a deep sleeper, and the capsule-style bunks helped to somewhat muffle the noise. I was able to get a few winks of sleep before having to leave the next day. You might want to avoid it if you want to get a good night’s rest though. If you are looking for a party – it’s a great hostel. There’s a pool and a bar that seems to run around the clock. A great place to celebrate a day of playing Mad Max on the sand dunes.
For a quieter hostel experience. Bananas’ Adventure hostel consistently tops the review list for a great to stay. There’s a nice pool, and the crowd is less party-hardy here, and even if they did have partiers at this hostel – they will generally head over to the Wild Rover leaving the hostel quieter in general in the evenings.
For a unique desert experience consider staying at the Ecocamp Huacachina, located just outside town. The property provides an immersive desert experience among the sand-dunes in their luxury tents, while still having the comforts and convenience of a hotel: such as having a pool.
Dining:
Restaurant Oasis de America is a lively restaurant on the lagoon front that has a large menu – so likely to have something for every preference. The Wild Olive Trattoria is also on the waterfront, and specializes in Italian cuisine. Whichever restaurant you choose, it’s a wise idea to either call in to get a reservation, or arrive slightly before the evening rush of diners – as there are a lot of visitors to this tiny town, and not quite enough restaurants, you may be out of luck waiting if you arrive at peak dining hours.
Dune buggying:
Dune buggying is THE thing to do in Huacachina. I did a sunset tour that took me Dune buggying and Sandboarding on the same trip. It was an amazing Mad-Max experience as we were driven roller-coaster style up and down the sand dunes, as the sun set.
Word of caution: Please do not try to stand on the rudimentary boards they give you on the dune buggy tour. While the boards have straps – they are nothing like a proper snowboard binding. It is far safer to go down the dunes lying on your belly on these boards. If you want to try going down the dunes standing up “snowboarding” or “ski” style – you need to rent proper snowboards and skis with proper boots and bindings.
Sandboarding and Sand-skiing:
If you want to try “skiing” or “snowboarding” down the sand dunes you can go on an excursion that includes the rental of skis and snowboards with proper boots and bindings. Using proper equipment will help reduce the chance of injury – but it doesn’t eliminate the risk. Skiing and boarding on sand is quite different from skiing and boarding on snow. Sand doesn’t glide the same way and snow, so catching an edge is easier. Use caution even if you’re a strong skiier or snowboarder. I watched someone fall and break his collarbone even though he had the proper equipment – you don’t want that to be you. An excursion that includes rentals is a good idea, because it includes transport up the dunes – almost like a dune-buggy chair lift if you will – as well as a safety and technique briefing.
Trip costs for 2 days and 1 night in Huacachina:
Accommodations: $9.45USD
Excursions: $35USD
Food and Dining: $15USD
Total: $59.45USD
Final Thoughts on Huacachina, Peru:
The desert oasis town of Huacachina is tiny, but the experiences here are huge. From riding sand-dunes on dune buggies that look straight out of a post-apocalyptic film; to sand-skiing or sand-boarding down huge sand dunes at sunset in the middle of the desert. Huacachina is a tiny town full of oversized experiences.