Wild Olive Trattoria — Restaurant in Ica

We wish the restaurant and hostel can be given separate reviews but unfortunately not:

This hostal is in the centre of Huacachina where you are only a 2 minute stroll away from all the tour agencies so you can take your time to choose the best deals! It also backs onto the lake which is beautiful.

We stayed in the mixed sex 10 dorm and was happy with the layout, cleanliness and the quality of sleep we got. Only disappointing thing was the showers as there was not a lot of pressure and was quite difficult to maintain a constant temperature. There is a communal kitchen which was well equipped and spacious. They also have secure luggage storage, and were kind enough to let us continue to use the comfy communal areas and have a shower whilst we waited until the evening to catch our night bus. Definitely recommend to those who prefer a quiet night in and value their sleep.

Breakfast options are very limited, however we had a banana and strawberry smoothie which was delightful. We would recommend going to Jaku Coffee shop which is right next door by the main entrance to the hostel it’s cheaper and had loads more refreshing breakfast options like avocado and egg on toast etc.

When you are a guest at the hostel you are entitled to 10% off. They have a great selection of Italian/ Peruvian dishes on offer however they are not exactly delivered to the standards one would hope. The pizza seems to be the best thing however they do not make their own pizza bases and what we would recommend is ordering double of a topping you like rather then the 7 different toppings they offer you; we requested BBQ base, onion, mushrooms, pineapple, pepper, pepperoni and Ham. However as you can see from our picture they only gave us one pineapple piece per slice which defeated the point of a Hawaiian pizza. We also ordered a meatball sub which was disappointing as the meat balls had no flavour and where dry. The chocolate brownie and ice cream was more like warm chocolate cake rather than brownie. The following night we invited friends over and we all absolutely enjoyed the Tesquenas as starters, the lasagna was okay slightly sweet for our liking and our friend ordered a pizza and again had similar concerns about the quality of pizza. The service was not perfect many a time we would have to be waving frantically to get a waiters attention as they did not seem to purposely come around and check in and see if there is anything else they can get you.

We feel this is warranted a 3/5 star as its value for money and very basic and not an experience but it is sufficient for what is needed when...

It’s rare that a hostel gets everything right, and Wild Olive Hostel is that rare gem. This charming, spacious place perfectly complimented my stay at an amazing desert oasis. Located in front of the lagoon and close to everything as Huacachina is so small, one was guaranteed a peaceful nights sleep despite the buzzing nightlife being literally just opposite. |When entering, the building is pretty and grand, airy and bright; from the welcoming reception area, well equipped kitchen to the huge, comfortable lounge with a massive TV and the super spacious rooms with extra large bunk beds. I could do a full workout in the dorms! |The bathrooms were on point; big shower cubicles with constant hot water and hooks for your towels and clothes. Disposable hand towels so you don’t have to leave with wet hands all the time. And most importantly a full length mirror. ||As you continue on to the terrace/restaurant overlooking the lagoon, this place is also an Italian restaurant but a little pricey so I didn’t eat here. However I did have the free breakfast which was amazing. You could order what you wanted off the menu and there was more choice than the usual, including an omelette with an array of filling choices. |I spent a couple hours nursing a coffee here and looking out onto the lagoon encircled by towering sand dunes. ||Luckily at night the place never felt cold and I could sleep comfortably in my shorts and T as the blankets were super cosy and beds comfortable as you like. Sockets at every bed too. ||The vibe was good too. Social but chill. Over the road there were plenty of places to have a drink and go to a party hostel if that’s your thing. Otherwise people could gather in the lounge over a film/footie/news and easily make friends as a solo...

It’s rare that a hostel gets everything right, and Wild Olive Hostel is that rare gem. This charming, spacious place perfectly complimented my stay at an amazing desert oasis. Located in front of the lagoon and close to everything as Huacachina is so small, one was guaranteed a peaceful nights sleep despite the buzzing nightlife being literally just opposite. |When entering, the building is pretty and grand, airy and bright; from the welcoming reception area, well equipped kitchen to the huge, comfortable lounge with a massive TV and the super spacious rooms with extra large bunk beds. I could do a full workout in the dorms! |The bathrooms were on point; big shower cubicles with constant hot water and hooks for your towels and clothes. Disposable hand towels so you don’t have to leave with wet hands all the time. And most importantly a full length mirror. ||As you continue on to the terrace/restaurant overlooking the lagoon, this place is also an Italian restaurant but a little pricey so I didn’t eat here. However I did have the free breakfast which was amazing. You could order what you wanted off the menu and there was more choice than the usual, including an omelette with an array of filling choices. |I spent a couple hours nursing a coffee here and looking out onto the lagoon encircled by towering sand dunes. ||Luckily at night the place never felt cold and I could sleep comfortably in my shorts and T as the blankets were super cosy and beds comfortable as you like. Sockets at every bed too. ||The vibe was good too. Social but chill. Over the road there were plenty of places to have a drink and go to a party hostel if that’s your thing. Otherwise people could gather in the lounge over a film/footie/news and easily make friends as a solo...