If you’re looking for the best way to tour Huacachina then there are plenty of options available for you to choose from: whether you’re just looking to sandboard, or if you want to spend a few days really getting to know the area, Huacachina has it all. No trip to Peru is complete without a visit to the mystical desert oasis. With a bouncing party scene and more than its fair share of market stalls and hostels, you can rest assured that this paradise will stay in your memory forever.
There is a legend that surrounds the only oasis in South America. In Quechua Huacachina means “The woman who cried for her lost love”, and it is said that the oasis is home to a mermaid. Originally this mermaid was a beautiful maiden who made a pact with god, saying that she would never fall in love with anyone else (as he wanted her all to himself). Then, one day, she caught sight of a hunter in her mirror and immediately fell madly in love with him. The god was so angry that her mirror smashed, creating the oasis, where he confined her as a mermaid forever. The legend says that at night, she still sings to try and tempt young men into the waters.
The classic and most most popular of the tours available here in Huacachina is the dune buggy tour. This tour is included with the price of your Peru Hop ticket, and entails an adrenaline pumping ride on a dune buggy before sandboarding down the biggest dunes in South America. Truly, this is a once in a lifetime experience.
Choose between a one day, two day or three day tour to Huacachina. All of these trips include a visit to Paracas and a trip to the Ballestas Islands as well as Huacachina and the dune-buggy and sandboarding experience. The Ballestas Islands are known locally as the poor-man’s Galapagos Islands, and have a magnificent display of wildlife, all in their natural habitat. Here, you can see sea lions and penguins up close, as well as other wildlife that call these rocks home.
If you decide to opt for a two day tour, you can add a night in Huacachina (in the famous Wild Rover hostel), and a tour of the famous Pisco vineyards to your itinerary- free samples included!
The three day tour is when things get really exciting. Kick-starting your long weekend with a visit to the little known Secret Slave Tunnels, a window into the darker side of Peruvian history. You will take a trip to the Ballestas Islands, and then a tour of Paracas National Reserve. The Paracas National Reserve is a beautiful desert stretch, and one of South America’s largest protected sites. You will then head to Huacachina to sandboard the night away, watching the sunset over the endless desert and dunes. On your third day you can enjoy a leisurely Pisco Vineyard tour before heading back to Lima, and being dropped right at your hotel.
If none of these pack enough of a punch for you, then you can spice things up by adding a Nazca lines flight to your three day tour. This is a fantastic way to pack as much as you can into just a few days, without feeling too rushed. Consider this Huacachina tour a perfect way to fill your days.
There are plenty of options available for you to decide between on your Huacachina tour. Whether you want to take your time on a three-day tour, or to get straight to the point on a day trip, the journey is unforgettable, no matter what you choose. You can make this journey a day trip from Lima, including Paracas on your way, or take a little time and stay the night in Wild Rover Hostel on your Peru Hop journey. Whatever you choose, you are sure to have an unforgettable time.
