After our stay in Paracas, we were anxious to learn about our next hop-off in Huacachina, Peru.  The only oasis in the Americas, North or South, this was certainly going to be interesting to say the least!

Facts about Huacachina

• The name Huacachina comes from Quechua word “wakachina”, which means “to guard”, “to conceal”, possibly shortened from “wakachina qucha” meaning “hidden lagoon”. According to another version, the name Huacachina means “crying woman” from the “wakay” meaning “to cry” and “china” meaning “young woman.”
• The different meanings of the name come from different legends that surround the creation of this beautiful lagoon. One legend says that a beautiful princess was startled by a hunter and she ran away, leaving her mirror behind, which became the lagoon. Another legend talks about a princess, who’s beloved suddenly died. She cried so much that her tears formed a lake. In both versions, the princess becomes a mermaid, who sometimes comes out at night (during full moon) and lures single men into the lagoon.

• The lagoon itself is believed to be therapeutic. Locals, as well as tourists cover themselves with the mud from the lake in attempt to cure different diseases such as asthma, arthritis, rheumatism and so on.   
• The permanent population of Huacachina is only around 100 people, but it receives tens of thousands of tourists each year.
• It’s hard to believe it, but until the 90s, Huacachina was almost entirely abandoned. A clever businessman started a dune buggy operation, causing the tourism in the area to literally explode. Now the situation is rather the opposite: there are so many tourists that everyone should make an effort to keep this beautiful oasis clean and preserve it!

Where We Stayed in Huacachina

As the bus made its approach, it seemed there was only one road in or out. The bus meeting point was where some travelers on our bus were staying, a trendy hostel called Wild Rover, with locations throughout South America.  We opted for another hotel down by the lake, which was a good selection, to avoid the crazy partying reputation of the Rover.

Our hotel, the DM Mossone, overlooked Huacachina Lake and was an absolutely beautiful property with large comfortable rooms, and outdoor swimming pool, featuring a lavish courtyard, free breakfast, and two free Pisco Sours upon check-in. 

• TIP: Bring cash to Huacachina. It is reported that the only ATM machine frequently doesn’t work.

Huacachina is a Perfect Spot for a Romantic Sunset

At some point, we had picked up a good bottle of red and Jenia had a brilliant idea of climbing up one of the dunes and enjoying a marvelous sunset just outside our new oasis!

One of the first things we noticed was the way the sand felt on our skin.  After living so long in Florida, we were shocked to find the sand didn’t stick to our feet or skin because of the low humidity.  It was very soft and walking up these steep dunes was a bit of a workout with your feet sinking in almost to your knees! 

I took a break while she went to the top for a panoramic shot. Later, we found a cozy spot, overlooking the spectacular desert sunset and opened the bottle of wine.  It was a perfect romantic evening, and that’s all I can say without getting into the details! 🙂

The Dune Buggy Adventure

The next morning we slept in a bit and decided to check out the pool.  We had the big event on the dunes coming up at about 4:00 pm, so we got some sun and walked around the lake, canvassing some of the shops, saving our energies for what would most assuredly be a full throttle afternoon!

At about 3:30 pm we started our walk up to the meeting point and then followed our guide to the dune buggies up on the first dune.  Since we had been watching these crazy drivers for a good period, it seemed a bit scary to actually climb in the vehicle with one first hand!  I was slightly concerned when the driver asked me if we wanted slow or really fast, but I said “Really Fast!”

Well, he certainly didn’t waste any time in getting our whole crew of seven or eight screaming at the top of our lungs!  He knew just how far he could push this high-powered rocket, which was loud with no mufflers.  It was like one of the best roller coasters you ever went on and the sand dunes were just limitless.

Sand Boarding is For Everyone!

After we were about a couple of miles from where we started, he pulled to the top of a dune and yelled “Everybody out!”  In the back of the buggy, he pulled out make-shift snow boards and some wax to apply to the bottoms.  So the more wax, the faster the board would be. 

Most everybody lied on their bellies, and of course skiers from European countries would blast by on snow skis with poles or snow boards.  I even tried once sitting on the board.  No matter how you went it always seemed you were going straight down reaching quite a high speed near the bottom! If you are scared, you can use your feet as brakes and control your descend.

It is fun and exhilarating, even though it seems scary at first. I saw many people of every age and body complexion riding down successfully, and even at my age I conquered all of the three slopes. So I can definitely say that anyone can sand board! You are not obligated to do it though and can simply stay on the dune buggy.

Watch Jenia having a blast on one of the slopes!

Now watch some “pros” do it! Wow!!

TIP: For the dune buggy and sand boarding adventure, bring:

• sunscreen
• sun glasses (they also help from sand going into your eyes)
• closed shoes, such as sneakers (it’s too easy to lose your flip flops in the desert)
• a kerchief to cover your mouth during the buggy ride (because sand is flying everywhere!)
• a bottle of water
• a sweat shirt. After the sun sets, it gets pretty chilly!

Where We Ate in Huacachina

We certainly continued enjoying our Peruvian cuisine. On the first night, we found a very good restaurant with an interesting name:  HUACAFUCKINGCHINA!  This was another installment of gastropubs, South American style.

The second night after sand duning, we were quite hungry. We tried the Wild Olive and we found their food to be very good and very cheap, so we actually went there again before we left.

After dinner, we decided to check out the Wild Rover and see what everyone was talking about. At first it was a little early but we noticed a shift to the bar, where the bartenders were doing a “show” of sorts and the fun started out with a bang. 

At a certain point, they sent someone from the bar around to pour shots right into your mouth if you desired. Cool! Somehow I ended up on the take as did Jenia and our friends from Canada! A grand party was the perfect ending of our stay in Huacachina.

Luckily, our Peru Hop bus the next day wasn’t departing until later in the afternoon, allowing us to sleep in. So, it was time to hop on again for a short ride to Nazca to see the famous Nazca Lines!