I’m sure I’m not the only person to have been seduced by the beautifully edited snapshots of Peru’s desert oasis, Huacachina, on Instagram!
Travel influencers have made the place a must stop on most people’s Peruvian itinerary. Its famous sand dunes and buggy rides are promoted across Peru as a ‘must not miss’.
However, despite the hype we felt that Huacachina didn’t quite live up to expectations. And had it not been for our accommodation at the wonderful Luchy’s Country House we’d have wanted to move on pretty quickly.
Here is why…
About Huacachina
Huacachina is a tiny village on the outskirts of Ica in the desert of Peru. It is famous for the oasis that exists within its centre.
Legend states that the lagoon was formed by an Incan princess mourning the loss of her lover. The tears she cried turned into the oasis that we see today.
The village continues to grow in popularity each year and a thriving tourism scene has developed. While only around one hundred locals live in the area, hostels and hotels are now plentiful. Bars and restaurants span the entire village and thrill seekers are met by a plethora of tourist agencies offering up activities such as dune buggying and sandboarding.
The original charm of the village seemed pretty non existent when we got there. And it felt like a classic case of tourism growing too quickly with the locals not having the means to control its effects.
The Lagoon
The lagoon is one of the main attractions of Huacachina and you’ll likely see photos of the oasis in most tourist centres in the major Pervuian cities.
The oasis is often marketed as a truly natural phenomena, however upon arriving in the village, we learned that the water is actually pumped in manually. Here, small pedalos can be hired to take a trip across the water.
At ground level we found the oasis to be a bit underwhelming. The surrounding walkways are also full of vendors. While this wouldn’t usually bother us, we found many were overly pushy – worse than anywhere else we experienced in South America. Those offering buggy tours were particularly relentless in their sales pitches.
We also arrived on a weekend and there were literally thousands of visitors. The combination of large tour groups, aggressive vendors and significant heat made the whole experience a bit unpleasant.
Food and drinks prices were pretty steep for Peru too. We also read A LOT of reviews suggesting to stay well away due to the quality on offer, and regular cases of food poisoning.
The Sand Dunes
With ground level being a bit of a disappointment we headed up into the dunes. A specific pathway on one side of the lagoon led up to a small kiosk at which you can purchase a ticket to enter the dunes for a small fee.
Note: We visited the dunes on two separate occasions and needed to purchase tickets each time. On the second visit however we did notice that some locals took a sandy path up the largest dune outside of the village to enter for free.
The large dunes on the north and south of the village were well worth the (rather unelegant!) climb. The views atop the largest (north) were particularly impressive and this is where most people take the “classic” Huacachina picture from.
It really is a classic case of Instagram Vs. Reality, however, with the camera angle needing to be perfect to get that stunning oasis view.
In truth many of the buildings were under construction or half-built, and the view was not that picturesque. The desert itself, spanning for miles in the distance, was where the real views were!
The Litter & Noise
A real disappointment for us while hiking across the dunes was the amount of rubbish left on the ground.
While we did see some staff members picking up litter, it felt a lost cause. There was so much trash just laying across the entire area. Much of it looked to have been there quite some time.
The other issue with hiking the dunes is the sheer number of buggies taking trips across the desert. We read some reviews where some walkers had almost been run over by over drivers. While this didn’t happen to us, the noise and pollution was still a turn off.
Where We Stayed
Ahead of our visit to Huacachina we decided to book accommodation outside of the village. This was just a chance decision but the best one we made.
We stayed at Luchy’s Country House, which is a short, ten minute tuk-tuk from the lagoon for about seven soles. You can read all about our unique stay here.
What To Bring
Trainers/hiking boots are a must for the dunes. Suncream, a hat and sunglasses are also essential. Huacachina was one of the hottest and sunniest places we visited in all of South America. Bring lots of water!
And, like all deserts, it gets really chilly once the sun sets, so be sure to pack plenty of layers.
Final Thoughts
Having spoken with other travelers, many who did the dune buggies and sand boarding, I would say that Huacachina is worth a day, maybe a day and a half of your time.
Once you’ve hiked a dune or taken a buggy there’s not really much to do in the village itself. The food options can also be limiting and expensive if staying onsite. Some of the hostels offer up some ok nightlife but this wasn’t really why we (or most of the travelers we met) were in Peru.
The main issue is that there are just too many people for such a small space. It felt like a place that really needed some stricter regulations to keep it in good shape.
Until next time,
Lica xoxo
