Sandboarding in Huacachina: A Tell-All Review
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If you’re thinking about sandboarding in Huacachina, you’re in the right place. I’ve been there. I’ve done it, and now I’m here to tell you all about it!
I’ll give you an in-depth review of the experience and the tour company I used.
(Spoiler alert: it was awesome!)
Quick Facts About Huacachina
Huacachina is a natural desert oasis (the only natural oasis in South America). Getting from Lima to Huacachina takes about 3.5 hours. The oasis used to be fully natural but has started drying up so now it gets some supplemental help.
This desert isn’t like the ones we’re used to seeing in the states as we drive through Nevada and Arizona.
This desert has soft sand that forms natural dunes that pile up into hills that are sometimes huge! Unlike the packed and caked deserts of the southwest United States, the sand dunes in Huacachina are softer than snow.
That makes it an excellent place for sandboarding! This tour alone makes Huacachina worth visiting.
What’s Included in the Huacachina Sandboarding Tour
The tour lasts two hours, which doesn’t seem like a long time, but the two hours are packed from front to back with action, adrenaline, and memories.
A lot of people refer to it as the sandboarding tour, including me, but also included in the tour is a ride in a dune buggy that’ll make your heart race.
You’ll also be taken to several spots that are great for taking pictures of the desert dunes and looking down on the oasis and town itself from the huge dunes surrounding it.
Cost of Sandboarding in Huacachina
The cost of the tour is $20-$25. The tour prices vary a tiny bit from company to company, but only a few dollars.
There is a fee of about a dollar that has to be paid for tourists to enter the desert. Some companies include this in their price so you don’t have to make the extra stop and pay again.
There are a ton of tour companies offering their own variations of this tour. My recommendation costs a few dollars more than some of the others, but in talking with some other people who used other companies, I got a better experience.
Some people’s sandboarding experience was not nearly as awesome as what I did, and the finale of our tour was one of a kind.
Sometimes an extra four or five dollars goes a long way.
What to Expect on the Huacachina Sandboarding Tour
If you’re not sure what to expect, I’ll give you a step-by-step explanation of what happens on this tour so you know exactly what you’re getting into.
The Pickup
The meeting point for the tour is at La Casa De Bamboo, a hotel located on the northwest side of the Huacachina oasis.
This is where you’ll get a quick safety lecture and an explanation of the rules. Keep your hands inside the vehicle, and use the seatbelts, it’s all pretty standard.
The Guides
The guides are bilingual (at least enough to get the point across), friendly, and helpful. They’ll make sure everyone is buckled in and uses their harness/seatbelt correctly.
These guys know all the best spots to take pictures and all the best hills around Huacachina for sandboarding.
They know the safest routes on the dunes to give you the wildest ride without the risk of rolling.
The Dune Buggy Ride
When I heard about the tour, even after the safety lecture, I thought the buggies were simply a means of traversing the desert to get us out to the sandboarding. I thought they were nothing more than a means to transport us to the fun part of the tour.
Boy was I wrong!
From the second you get out into the desert, the buggy ride will have your heart pounding!
You don’t realize how steep those dunes are until you reach the top of one, start to go over the crest, and can’t see the ground. Then when that buggy drops and you’re careening down the slope, it’s like a roller coaster ride!
Sandboarding!
When I imagined sandboarding, I imagined a couple of little hills and trying to stand up on a board, but mostly falling over. I thought I’d be goofing around in the desert for a few hours.
Again, I was wrong as wrong could be.
Our guide handed us all a sandboard and a wax stick to keep with us through the tour. When he marched us up the hill and explained we’d be going down on our stomachs, face first, I realized I’d been wrong about what we were going to do.
Then, when I looked down the hill and saw the huge drop we were about to make, I got nervous. Everyone did!
I put off my turn for a while before finally realizing I didn’t want to be last. I assumed the position and the guide helped push me down the hill.
What a rush you guys!
I’m not much of a thrill seeker, so I’ve never done anything like that before.
We went sandboarding down a handful of the dunes of Huacachina. The last of which we had to reload up in the buggy and be driven to because it was the biggest yet, and what a wild ride it was!
The Return Trip
After the sandboarding, we were treated to a second round of roller-coaster-like buggy driving on our way back toward the oasis.
We stopped for one more photo opportunity on the top of the hill that looks down on the oasis. The guides timed it perfectly because the sun was just about to set.
I sat there and watched the sunset over the dunes with my new friends after an awesome adventure. It was the perfect end to the tour.
What to Bring on the Tour
In preparation for this tour, I’d put on some sunscreen. There’s no shade out there in the desert. The buggy is covered on the top, but that’s the only shade you’ll see for a few hours. Lather up before you go.
Everything you need for this tour is provided by the tour company. The only things you need to bring are:
- Cell phone
- Cash to tip the driver and pay the desert entry fee of $4 soles.
- Clothing with zippers
I recommend leaving everything else in your hostel locker.
What NOT to Bring on the Tour
This is even more important than what to bring. Let me tell you why.
The buggy ride is wild! It bounces and tilts. Whatever you bring with you could fly out of the buggy and be lost forever.
Also, the sandboarding activity isn’t exactly guaranteed to keep everything in your pockets. That’s why I recommend clothing with zippers. Anything that can’t fit in secure zippered pockets should be left in your room.
You won’t want to leave it in the buggy while you’re sandboarding either, because the buggy drives from the top of the first hill to the bottom of the last hill with no passengers, so you don’t want your things falling out during that.
With that in mind, leave behind:
- Purses
- Backpacks
- Large Cameras
Anything you don’t want to lose and can’t fit in your zippered pockets you’ll want to leave back in your room. If you’re in a hostel, make sure you’ve got a good lock and lock it up in your locker.
Huacachina FAQs
Huacachina is pretty small. It’s one of those places you might not have heard about until you land in Peru and start hearing about all the fun that happens there.
There are a few things to know before you to help you plan for your Peru trip.
Is Huacachina Safe?
Huacachina and Peru in general are safe to travel to whether you’re travelling solo or with a group. Of course, you’ll still want to be smart and cautious.
You can also check out our advice on staying safe while traveling around Peru.
It’s also a good idea to check Peru travel advisories before your trip.
Where Should I Stay in Huacachina?
If you’ve read anything else I’ve written, you know I love hostels. I recommend staying in them for trips like these because I believe it enhances the experience.
For my money, the best hostel to stay in Huacachina is Banana’s Adventure Hostel. It’s laid back, has a nice food menu, and a great outdoor area to hang by the pool, bar, or play some foosball.
It’s also close to all the party spots so you can have a fun night then come back and get a decent night’s sleep. Also, it’s super easy to meet people and make friends at Banana’s.
What Else is There to Do in Huacachina?
In Huacachina, the sandboarding tour is definitely the highlight and main attraction. But there are a TON of other things to do!
If you’re just looking to chill and relax, the courtyard at Banana’s is the perfect place to do it. Between the restaurant, bar, pool, and games, there is plenty to do.
If you want something a little more upbeat, walk down the street to Wild Rover, where there is a party every night. When loud music and dancing are what you’re looking for, this is the spot and is the best party in Huacachina.
If you want to grab a few drinks in a cool spot, a few doors down from Banana’s, on the lagoon side, is a bar called Huacafuckingchina. This is a fun place to hang out, and a photo op at the very least.
The nearby town of Ica is a great place to do a pisco tour and tasting. You can tour the distilleries and the cellars and learn all about how pisco is made. Of course, you’ll also try more different types than you even imagined could exist!
Getting Around Huacachina
I mentioned before that Huacachina is pretty small. The nice thing about this is that everything is pretty close together. There’s no need to rent a car or anything.
Everything you will want or need to do in the oasis is walkable. If you want to get out of the oasis and over to the town of Ica, you can get a taxi. Just remember not to accept the first price they give you.
How Many Days in Huacachina?
My Huacachina itinerary went like this:
- Arrived in the afternoon
- Did the sandboarding tour almost immediately
- Dinner and drinks after the sunset
- Hostel breakfast and walk around the lagoon
- Departed at 10:00 a.m.
- Pisco tour and tasting at Nietto on the way out
Now, I wish I had one more night to spend in Huacachina because there’s another desert activity that I wanted to do. I wanted to do the ATV activity and take the ATVs out into the desert and kick up some sand.
The hostel didn’t have room for me for an extended night though, so I didn’t get a chance.
Technically one night at Banana’s was enough, but I would have liked another night, so I’m recommending spending two nights to make sure you have enough time to do all the activities and still enjoy the town and the oasis.
I should note that the sandboarding tours are available as a day trip from Lima, but I recommend leaving Lima behind and staying in Huacachina.
Can I Swim in the Huacachina Lagoon?
The answer to this question is yes, but DON’T! You won’t get in trouble for swimming, as it’s technically allowed. But the locals will look at you funny and you might get a few concerned citizens telling you to get out.
Due to its state of drying up, it’s mostly stagnant water, which is a breeding ground for bacteria and all kinds of things you want nothing to do with.
Instead, rent a paddle boat and get on the water that way. It’s much safer.
Summing Up Sandboarding in Huacachina
Huacachina is an interesting little place. Its uniqueness makes it worth the visit alone. Because it’s so unique, the activities there are unique too.
I visited a lot of cities and places in Peru. Machu Picchu is an amazing site. Arequipa is a beautiful city with some of the best activities. The scenery in the Sacred Valley is unlike any other.
But, sandboarding in Huacachina was the most fun I had. I said before that I’m not much of a thrill seeker. This pushed the boundaries a bit of what I would normally do, and I’m so glad I did it!
I had a blast and I know you will too!
Have fun out there!