You are here: Huacachina.com > Tours > Activities

On Your Own:

Activities in Ica + Huacachina that don't require a Tour

There is plenty to do here for those who don't want, or can't afford, to take a guided tour.

Sandboarding in the dunes around Huacachina: rent a sandboard for a few soles, and learn to sandboard. If you speak a little bit of spanish it isn't hard to find someone who is willing to teach you for a few soles more. Keep in mind that it is our opinion that doing this as part of a sandboarding and dune buggy tour is far more fun, even though it costs more.

Swimming: several hostals and hotels, including Casa de Arena, Carolas del Sur, Salvatierra, Hosteria Suiza, Massone, and Huacachinero have their own swimming pools, which is a great relief from the heat of the desert sun. Some tourists choose to swim in the lagoon (which of course is free), and this is fine, but the cleanliness of the oasis is debatable. And every year a few Peruvian visitors drown there, so it is not as safe as a pool.

Paddle Boat on the oasis: relax and take a foot-powered journey across the lagoon on a pedal-powered boat. Minimum: two people. Useful trick: if its hot out, rent an umbrella there too. It gets hot on the lake, when you are on top of the water instead of in it.

Museums: Ica's Regional Museum [museo regional de ica] is a good place to spend an hour or so, as it contains amazing ceramic art, a number of beautifully preserved mummies, trepanned skulls [ a process where a hole was drilled into the person's head during their life for religious or medical reasons] and some lovely textiles. In addition, it has information on the various tribes that have lived in Ica for thousands of years. Unfortunately one or two of the more spectacular textiles was stolen from the museum, and all that remains is a poster-sized printed replica.

Chocolates Helena: peer through the glass at this small "almost home-made" chocolate factory, to see the process of making the delicious chocolates and cookies. Then try some samples and perhaps buy some boxes to bring back. A word of caution: chocolates don't want to be left in the hot Ican sun for long.

See a Movie: UVK Multicines has opened up a new movie theater in Ica, not far from Huacachina, but most of the movies are dubbed into spanish. Check out their website to see if anything you want to see is playing in your language.