Huacachina is a desert oasis on the west coast of Peru and raved about by backpackers, so we were intrigued to see what the hype was all about. We got a bus to the city of Ica and then hopped in a taxi which surprisingly arrived in Huacachina just 10 minutes later.

It is not as isolated as we had predicted, the city of Ica is highly accessible and the town itself is more like an isolated neighbourhood. Two streets either side of a lagoon mixed with a handful of hostels and restaurants; these are the ingredients which make up Huacachina. As usual we hadn’t pre booked and at this moment it was late and our stomachs were groaning at us to make a quick decision. We stayed at Sand & Lake hotel, which the room was a great size and very modern, generously priced. The only downfall here is that the rooms will make you feel like a casserole being slowly baked. They are very hot, the ceiling fans are of poor quality and we had to ask for an extra one from reception. But despite feeling like cheese in a microwave, we did like this hotel overall. However if you are looking to stay longer than a few days, then there are hostels with much nicer pool areas to lounge around so perhaps do some research prior to arriving-bananas is particularly popular with backpackers but they had no room for us. Desert Nights is another option, we opted to eat here as its cheaper than most places and they do great deals for backpackers. The vegetable stir fry is recommended, we both ordered it and were very satisfied-plus portions are huge! Before heading back we wanted to become familiar with the small town so went on a short walk-long walks aren’t really an option with only two streets available! We stumbled across Bamboo café and were drawn to the chalkboard, ‘Brownie & Banoffi pie’ were among many of the appealing desserts listed. Our stomachs guided us in, excited at the prospect of sweet seconds to our already digested stir fry. We were both handed a huge calorific portion of excellence, definitely home made and to perfection. Just what we needed as a nice treat to the end of a day of bussing. We headed back to the microwave room to attempt some sleep. Strangely the town itself is very cool at night, we are still baffled as to why our room was radiating heat. Ironically despite falling asleep coverless and sweaty, we both awoke early hours reaching for quilts and very cold…Bizarre.

In the morning we were able to fully appreciate our surroundings and observe this so called desert oasis properly. Set in a valley of mountainous sand dunes, Huacachina surrounds a small lagoon, which in photos is a turquoise blue but minus the photoshop, reality disappoints as the water is a murky brown. Palm trees decoratively stand around the lagoon offering small amounts of shade. It is like no place we have been before, unique and strangely attractive. The main attraction here is sand boarding, something we eagerly wanted to add to our agenda for that day. Although upon departing our hotel we noticed an advertisement in the neighbouring shop, ‘Sand Skiing’, the latter was more than enough to drag us into the store. It is a more expensive option, however as keen snow skiers it was a price we were willing to pay and still believed was extremely reasonable. A 3 hour session, with practice slopes, dune buggy ride and finally sand mountains to ski down, plus the added bonus of photo and video footage at a package price of roughly £25-bargain!

We set off at 3.30pm, boots fitted and skis slung over our shoulders we began walking to the edge of the sand dunes. The first 45 minutes is a lesson in how to sand ski, tips, tricks and practices which is definitely needed as we were soon to find out how different it is from snow. We had to trek to the top of the hill, the luxury of ski lifts was greatly missed to say the least. Our heavy boots sank into the sand with each step, their weight forever a slowing burden. As the dune inclined the struggle increased, digging our heels in and pushing for momentum was exhausting. Meanwhile our shoulders were weighted down by the ski’s. The sun’s glaze was delirious. 30 degrees of rays aimed towards us, testing if we could handle the heat. Powering through, Jonny reached the top, perspiring and breathless. Hayley was still several metres behind, trudging along painfully.

Our instructor was great, he was also acclimatised to the heat so he went back to help out. Luckily we were the only people doing this trip so we weren’t slowing anyone down, although how people would have climbed it quicker we are not sure. A panting Hayley finally arrived, dry mouthed and red faced. (take plenty of water-we got through 6 bottles!) At this point we were unsure if what we had encountered was going to be worth it. We listened carefully to our instructor about the differences between sand and snow, then waxed our skis and went for our first trial run. The sand is sticky and will grab your skis, similar to slushy snow. The texture is smooth, but gravely as your turn. It is important to not dig your edges in, or the sand will laugh at your naivety and throw you off as a warning. Maintaining speed is important as the sand will slow you down. Our brains revised this information meticulously whilst we practiced. Exaggerating bent knees will assist with control and large turns too will prevent falling. The feeling was odd, sand gripping your skis and spraying in your face, in an abyss of desert and extreme heat. It was exhausting but exhilarating and highly rewarding. Despite the intensely difficult hikes up, the 3 practice runs were definitely a necessity and we both ended up on the sandy floor once. We both were taken out by the sand’s unusual terrain, Hayley particularly ended up looking like the sandman children dream of. With ‘wotsit’ (a British crisp, which has an orange, cheesy exterior) textured legs and a sand moustache thicker than milk. The dunes boasts a view of Huacachina, in which the label desert oasis is truly most fitting.

Next on the itinerary was a ride in the dune buggy to larger and steeper terrain. The last pick up, we were welcomed aboard by a group of backpackers on route to sandboarding. The engine roared and we fired off at an impressive speed into the lumps and bumps which make up this mountainous sand range. Squeals and shrieks echoed as we embarked up hills, and sideways tackled slopes. Feeling like we should be in the next Fast and Furious follow up. The buggy revved its way up a steep hill at full pelt, tipped over the edge revealing a sheer drop, at which point the driver pulled up the handbrake and grinned at his screaming passengers. This was our first stop. Whilst waxing our skis we observed the sandboarders, who lie flat on their stomachs, it is more like sand sledding, as the are pushed down the hill. It did look great fun, so if you are not a skier or would prefer to spend less money then definitely do explore this option.

It was time for Hayley to take the plunge on a real sand slope. She managed to do so without falling and at a pretty ridiculous speed, to the extent of the instructor warning her to slow down on the next slope, but also laughing at her uncontrollable giddiness to be back on skis, even if it isn’t her usual terrain. She blamed the gush of adrenaline and claimed she could not resist the urge to speed!

Next up was Jonny, who after claiming to not be a good skier was a dark horse and surprisingly impressive, with neat turns and a more preferable speed, he greeted Hayley at the bottom.

We proceeded another 3 sand slopes, improving slightly on every one, which was most likely assisted by the cooling air as the sun was slowly descending. Back in the buggy there was laughter all round, adrenaline pumping and endorphins bouncing around in our bodies like hyper children at a party. Our final stop was a relaxing contrast to the previous few hours. We sat at the top of a sand dune, watching one of the most tranquil sunsets we have ever witnessed. The orange sun blended into the sand dunes, a sign that our incredible day was near an end. Undoubtedly one of the most magnificent sunsets ever.

We were seemingly the only buggy around, there was not another soul in sight. Our eyes glistened with delight, beaming back at the sun to bid farewell to the light of this day. The last speckles of sand glittered, and when the suns visibility was no more, it was time to head back. The pink sky promised another clear day tomorrow. The wind tickled our faces on the journey back united with sandy grins.

Back at the hotel we stripped outside our room, sand was EVERYWHERE. Eyes, ears, mouth, nose, any crevasse it could find the sand would settle. We shook our clothes violently and rinsed thoroughly in the shower. If you are a skier or snow boarder and find yourself in Huacachina then it is an experience that is absolutely worth every penny. ‘Ski and Sand School’ were brilliant, you can judge the photography yourself but we were thrilled with the results. Around 100 photos and approx 10 minutes of video footage which was all excellent, we really can’t fault anything at all. It was a once in a life time opportunity and we are glad to have ticked it off our list.

Admittedly there is little else to do in the small town of Huacachina. We are sure people spend time just chilling out by poolsides, although that’s not really a leisure of our choice as our attention spans are short and we like to keep moving. Our departure the following day was a happy one. Having experienced the Huacachina hype, we would most certainly recommend it and asides from sand skiing our other top tip is the desserts at bamboo café!

We hope you manage to make it there and enjoy as much as we did!

Next stop on our trip is Chile, where you can read about why our bus reviews went downhill and the frustrating border crossing!

Jonny & Hayley 🙂