Oasis de la Huachachina — Attraction in Ica

Ica and the Sand Dunes at Huacachina

For the sporting type looking to try something a little different, the oasis resort of Huacachina on the outskirts of Ica has just the answer. This picture-perfect, palm-fringed resort town just west of Ica is situated around a lagoon surrounded by huge sand dunes, some of which reach 1,000 meters in height.

People come here to try out the sport of sandboarding. Similar to snowboarding, sandboarding involves surfing down the sand dunes on specially made sand-boards, which can be rented in the area. For the less coordinated, renting dune buggies is another great way to get out and enjoy the landscape.

Ica is slightly higher than the ocean and consequently is not affected by the usual coastal mist like other towns along this stretch. The town has a year-round sunny and dry climate, making it a good place to visit at any time In the 1960s, the waters of Huacachina were believed to have healing powers and attracted wealthy Peruvians from miles around. Today, Huacachina is a glistening oasis, sprinkled with restaurants, hotels, and residences amid the lush palm trees and blue-green water. There is plenty to do in Huacachina, Peru for adventurers and relaxation-seekers alike. With dune buggy and sandboarding tours, visitors get a unique view of the coastal dunes, which attract backpackers and sandboarders from all over the world. Aerial tours showcase the Nazca Lines, which are a grouping of mysterious figures and shapes created centuries ago by native Peruvians. A quick trip across the dunes leads visitors to a boat tour to the Ballestas Islands to visit the Humboldt penguins, sea lions, and other native wildlife. After a day of sandboarding and sightseeing, visitors can finish their day touring one of Huacachina’s wineries. The wine tours also feature Peru’s national beverage, Pisco, which is a strong brandy...

A Garden of Eden ! On the outskirts of Ica lies the Oasis de Huacachina, a real "Garden of Eden". Each year thousands of tourists are attracted by this small, but beautiful green desert lake (whose water is said to have healing properties), but even more than the lake, tourists are drawn to the gigantic sand dunes that surround the oasis and are a playground for adventurers and daredevils. The lake depends on the aquifer located under this part of the coastal desert for its existence, but the drilling of more and more wells threatens the precarious balance of the lake. That is why the local entrepreneurs have started pumping water into the since 2015, but this will only be a...

Huacachina is an oasis located five kilometers west of the Peruvian city of Ica, in the middle of the coastal desert of the Pacific Ocean. Green-colored waters, it arose due to the outcrop of underground currents and around it there is an abundant vegetation composed of palm trees, eucalyptus and the species of carob tree known as huarango, which serves for the rest of the flying birds that pass through this region. All of this contributes to making Huacachina one of the most colorful and beautiful places on the...