Introduction to Huacachina:

Some great advice and useful tips!

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What and Where is Huacachina?

Huacachina (population: 115) is a tiny Peruvian village built around a natural oasis on the outer fringes of a beautiful but barren desert. Anyone who has ever dreamed about seeing the Sahara desert in Africa or visiting the vast deserts of the Arabian peninsula will be thrilled by the imposing sand dunes surrounding Huacachina and the palm-tree walkway around the oasis. Only the camels are missing.

Located about 5 hours south of Lima, Huacachina is just a few kilometers from the downtown of Ica. This means that if you are taking the bus to Cuzco, Nazca, or Arequipa, Huacachina is just minutes out of your way!!! Huacachina plays host to a large number of foreign and Peruvian tourists who flock to its sandy banks for two very different reasons: to relax in a hammock and soak in the sun, AND to satisfy their need for adrenaline on the white-knuckle sand buggy tours & sand-boarding down the slopes of 300 feet tall sand dunes.

The "golden age" of Huacachina was from around 1920 to 1950 when wealthy people from various corners of Peru came to soak in the waters of the oasis, which were considered to have medicinal properties. Nowadays it is clear that the golden age of the oasis has passed, and the place has a bit of a decayed appearance, since some of the colonial buildings haven't been well-maintained. However, never in its history has it seen as many visitors as the current era - it is a major hotspot for Peruvian and international tourists.

Huacachina makes a memorable and exciting addition to any trip to Peru. Some tourists turn Huacachina into a two or three day "rest break" on their way to or from other tourist destinations such as Nazca or Cuzco. However many tourists travel great distances just to visit the dunes of Huacachina. We hope to see you here soon, and will endeavor to answer any questions you have about the region.

The Huacachina Name and Legend(s)

Huacachina is Quechua for "The Crying Woman." Certainly a strange name for a desert oasis. Read more details about the legend and the name by clicking here:.

Getting to and from Huacachina:

Getting to Huacachina is easy and inexpensive.

First, take a bus to Ica. Buses leave frequently from Lima headed south, and from Arequipa and Nazca heading north.

If you are coming from Lima, your choice of bus should depend on your budget and how much time you can spare. Flores is the absolute cheapest bus company, charging about 18 soles per person from Lima to Ica, but will take a painfully long time to arrive. It is not recommended at all. Soyuz is slightly more expensive, and slightly faster. Both Soyuz and Flores do offer one big advantage: they leave very frequently from Lima, like every 8 minutes. That means you don't have to worry about missing your bus! Here are some excellent tips if you plan on travelling with Soyuz or Flores.

Cruz del Sur , and its respectable new rival Oltursa, are bus companies aimed primarily at foreign tourists and wealthy Peruvians, offers direct service that is much faster than the other companies, because it doesnt stop anywhere along the way to pick up or drop off passengers. Naturally, their prices are double or triple the price of the budget companies. Cruz del Sur passengers should purchase their tickets a day or two in advance when possible because they often have a limited supply of tickets and buses.

Rest assured that whichever bus company you choose, its fleet of buses will probably not look like this.

If you are headed to or from Arequipa, you should consider Cial (the budget option) or Cruz del Sur.

Note: Bus fares will increase significantly in price if you arrive on or around national holidays or regional celebrations. Holidays include Christmas, Semana Santa (April 9th to the 14th), New Years Eve, July 28th, and the Vendemia (from early to mid March), a holiday that celebrates the harvesting of the grapes.

Once you arrive in Ica, take a taxi to Huacachina. Don't pay more than 5 soles for you or your group, unless you arriving between 10 PM and 6:00 AM: in this case your fare will be 6-8 soles.

If you are already in Huacachina and need to leave, you can either purchase your ticket ahead of time in Ica or during business hours the Casa de Arena hostal sells Oltursa tickets.

Distances and times:

• Lima <> Ica : about 3.5 hours by car, and between 4 and 5 hours by bus
  
• Nazca <> Ica : about 2 hours by car, and 2.5 hours by bus
• Lima <> Pisco / Paracas: about 3 hours by car, and about 3 hours 45 minutes by bus.
• Paracas <> Ica: about 45 minutes by car
• Ica <> Huacachina: about 8 minutes by taxi

Taxis

To get to Huacachina once you are in Ica, taxis and moto-taxis ( a small taxi that combines a three-wheeled motorcycle and a small passenger cabin) are your only option.

Taxis from Ica to Huacachina will charge 5 soles, as of early 2009. From one point in the city of Ica to another place, the cost will usually be 2.5 soles or 3 soles. Taxis from Huacachina back to Ica are usually 4 or 5 soles, although after about 10 pm you will be charged 7-8 soles. These prices are independent of the number of people in the taxi.

Mototaxis will charge you 3 soles to go from Ica to Huacachina or vice-versa during the day. During the night, it is harder to find mototaxis willing to take you Huacachina. Mototaxis from one point in Ica to another are usually 1.5 soles although very short distances (fewer than 7 blocks) will be 1 sol.

Peruvian taxi drivers have a well-deserved reputation for overcharging tourists. If you don't speak much Spanish and have never visited the area, you will probably incur some overcharges unless you ask around about normal prices before going anywhere. Make sure you establish up front how much a fare will cost, and then refuse to pay more. Take a good look at the amount of money they give you when you leave the taxi.

Bring: This list is specific to Ica and Huacachina, and does not include things you might need for Cuzco, Puno, or the inca trail, etc. So don't plan your whole Peru vacation around this list. Please bring:

• sunscreen (with a good SPF factor)
• light, thin clothing like t-shirts and shorts
• money (in soles)
• toilet paper
• a hat or baseball cap
• swimming suit (optional, recommended)
• tennis shoes or other type of closed shoe (highly recommended, for sand boarding)
• sandals (optional, for walking on the sand)
• Optional: Alcohol ( there are several bars in Huacachina, but unsurprisingly they are expensive compared to alcohol stores located in Ica or Lima)
• Optional: Food (tourists on a tight budget might wish to buy food at a supermarket before coming to Huacachina, since the food here is considerably more expensive than outside of Huacachina)

.Weather & Seasons

There are two main seasons in Huacachina: summer and winter. Every month that isn't in a specific season will be warm during the day, and coolish at night.

Summer Months: December, January, February, March: Very hot during the day, warm in the afternoons and early mornings, and pleasant at night. Sunshine and blue skies nearly every day of the season.

Winter Months: June, July, August, September: warm or slightly cool during the day, with occasional blue skies and sunshine. Cold at night. Bring t-shirts for the day and warm clothes at night! Early mornings are sometimes foggy and damp.

Languages

Ica residents speak Spanish, almost noone in the city will understand English. In Huacachina, staff working at restaurants and hotels will often know a bit of english. Regardless of what language you speak, Huacachina is pronounced Walk-uh-chee-nuh, as the first letter is silent.

Small kiosks by the entrance to Huacachina sell jewelry, t-shirts, chocolates, pisco, wines and other souveneer goods. If you are unsure of where to find the kiosks, look for the Desert Nights hostal; the kiosks are 10 meters from there.

Money

Banks and ATM machines

Banks and ATM machines can be found near the plaza de armas in Ica. There is an ATM machine (in spanish: cajero automatico) located by the Huacachinero hostel in Huacachina.

Everything purchased in Huacachina should be paid for in Peruvian soles. Some vendors might accept dollars, but the vast majority want soles.

Currency Exchange - exchanging soles, dollars, or euros

It is possible to exchange dollars and euros for soles or vice versa in Huacachina, but it is NOT recommended. Like everything in Huacachina, it is expensive: they will convert the currency at unfavorable rates.

Go to Ica, and you will find money changers in the Plaza, waiting around the businesses located there. They can be identified by their red uniforms, which often have dollar signs and euro signs on them. If you are clearly a gringo tourist, they will approach you as soon as you get within 30 feet of them. The money changers here will usually give you better rates than the banks.

However, buyer beware! Some of the money changers are dishonest - they may show you on their calculators that they are giving you a certain amount of soles but actually hand over a slightly smaller amount. For example, if they say they will give you 318 soles in exchange for $100 USD, they may hand you 310 soles and then wait to see if you are paying attention or not.

Health:

Hospitals, pharmacies, dangers, dangerous animals and diseases

The biggest dangers here are due to the sun: dehydration and sun burn. These can be prevented the old-fashioned way: with sunscreen, hats, lots of water, and avoiding the sun during the peak hours of 10 am to 2 pm. Also not recommended is to go hiking far off into the dunes by yourself. Always trek with a buddy, if you absolutely feel the need to walk around in the dunes.

The second biggest dangers are from sand-boarding: please remember this is an adventure sport, and some degree of risk is always involved. Once in a while tourists sprain ankles or break bones, and tragically in March 2009 an Israeli tourist was killed while sandboarding. The dune buggies also carry a small but possible chance of injury or death - although statistically the chance of being injured in a dune buggy is very very low.

Public and private hospitals can be found in Ica.

There are pharmacies in Ica, not in Huacachina. One good pharmacy, called "B&S: Botique y Salud" can be found in the central plaza of the town.

There are no dangerous animals native to Huacachina.

Crime

Most of Ica is pretty safe during the day, and somewhat "iffy" at night. Like any medium-sized city in a developing country, It has its share of petty, non-violent criminals such as pickpockets or muggers. Like everywhere else in the world, walking around alleyways at night or in a state of intoxication greatly increases the chances of something bad happening. Recently a tourist had his backpack stolen from a dune buggy he was riding in, on the way to visit one of the wineries, so crime can happen when you expect it least.

Huacachina is very safe, with violent crimes almost unheard of. However, watch your possessions in the hostels and hotel rooms: cameras and expensive cell phones can dissappear from hotels regardless of where they are located. Backpackers are an honest crowd in general, but there is a rotten apple in every bunch.

Drugs

Huacachina is visited by a diverse group of people, some of whom include backpackers, sunbathers, hippies and thrill-seekers. Therefore it should be no surprise that it is easy to purchase marijuana and other drugs in the area. Police in Huacachina turn a blind eye to people smoking marijuana as long as it is not highly visible in public.

However, it should be remembered that Peru has very harsh laws regarding the sale or possession of large quantities of drugs - and many of Peru's jails are hellholes where no foreigner would ever want to spend one day.

Some hallucinogenic drugs that are illegal in the United States, such as ayahuasca [containing DMT] and San Pedro Cactus [containing mescaline], are completely legal in Peru. This is because these drugs have a long history as a legitimate part of the religious and cultural life of the indigenous tribes in the jungle and coasts. However, the more popular party drugs such as cocaine, meth, and marijuana remain illegal. If you wish to try San Pedro, ask around in Huacachina. Occasionally stores will sell cut cactus pieces or prepared san pedro teas.

Maps

You want maps? We got maps. Most tourists won't need them though.

Click here for a street map of downtown Ica (coming soon)
Click here for a map showing the location of Ica in Peru
Click here for a street map of huacachina
Click here and here for Google Earth satellite images of Huacachina

Laundry

There are laundry services in Huacachina and in Ica. If you are only washing a little bit of clothing, or are uncomfortable speaking in Spanish, it makes more sense to pay to have it done in Huacachina. Expect to pay around 4 soles per kilo.

If you have a LOT of stinky, sweaty, sandy clothing in your suitcase or backpack, you can save money if you have it washed in Ica. There is a very quick laundromat located at the 17th block of Avenue San Martin, called LavaYa, although it can be a bit hard to find. Another good laundry is located about half a block away from Chocolates Helena. In Ica, the prices will usually be 2.50-3 soles per kilo.

The Internet

In Huacachina

There are three main places in Huacachina to rent computers with internet access. They are located near each other. Hostal Salvatierra has an internet cafe open to the public. Restaurant La Sirena, located next to Hospedaje del Barco, also has an internet cafe. Finally, Desert Nights Hostal and restaurant also has a small internet cafe. All internet places have SKYPE as well as headphones with microphones to make your phone calls. All these internet cafes charge 3 soles per hour.

Some hotels have WIFI internet access, for guests. These include Hosteria Suiza, Hotel Mossone, and Desert Nights

In Ica.

There are many places in Ica that offer internet access. Use of the Internet costs 1 sol per hour in Ica. Most internet places will not have SKYPE and may not have headphones with microphones (necessary of course to make phone calls via skype). A couple of good internet places can be found in the Plaza de Armas in Ica. Ask the locals and they will indicate their locations.

Some restaurants in Ica have free WIFI, including Bamboo Cafe in Ica, on Avenida San Martin. See the "restaurants" section of the website for more info. Nicer hotels will also have wireless internet accesss.

Regional Holidays

Regional holidays include Pisco Sour Day, (el dia del pisco sour) in mid-february, a holiday that has been created to recognize and honor the place of the pisco sour cocktail in the popular culture and culinary traditions of the Peruvian people. During this day, the municipal government holds a small fair in the Fair Grounds, where everyone in the city is invited to come and drink free pisco sours. For economic and nationalistic reasons, both Peru and Chile maintain that the pisco originally comes from their country. In the international business market, both Peru and Chile frequently fight over the trademark rights to the term "pisco" and "pisco sour", insisting that only they produce the true pisco.

A much bigger, and more important holiday, is the Vendimia (from early to mid March), a holiday that celebrates the harvesting of the grapes. This is the celebration of the grape harvest, and features well-known national and international musicians that arrive in Ica to perform. Meanwhile, the various wineries offer their own piscos and wines to try. This festival is also held at the camp grounds, and the entrance fee each day is around 15 soles.

Semana Santa, Holy Week, (approximately April 9th to the 13th) is an important Catholic festival all over the catholic world. However, it should be noted that many Peruvians living in Lima use this holiday as a chance to visit Ica and Huacachina, and so the bus fares willl be double the normal price (!) and the hotels will charge quite a bit more, and it will be harder to find accomodation. We actually recommend that foreign tourists avoid Ica and Huacachina during this week if possible, due to the exhorbitant prices.

July 28th, is the national independence day for Peru, and therefore the hotels will be booked up for this week. If you plan on arriving on or around this date, make sure you have your hotel reserved quite a bit in advance!

While not really a regional holiday, it is interesting to note that the World Sandboarding Championships are held in Huacachina every year, although the date can vary widely. This contest features some of the most amazing sandboarders from around the world, competing on a massive sand dune directly surrounding the oasis.