City Rating: Huacachina
Population: 1’000
Date of visit: May 2018
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 5/5
Infrastructure: 2/5
Low budget factor: 4/5
Total: 👍👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Huacachina is actually not a city but a very small town. It’s the only desert oasis in South America and one of the most scenic places in the world. This small town near the city Ica lies on the Gringo Trail between Lima and Cusco, and is therefore a popular stopover for travellers.
Where to stay:
It really doesn’t matter. Huacachina is so small, it only takes 7-8 minutes to get from one end to the other. The only fault a traveller can do is staying not in Huacachina itself but in Ica, which is a 10 minute ride away. There isn’t a lot to do in Ica and a taxi ride to Huacachina takes approximately ten minutes. I’m writing this because sites such as booking.com list hotels in Ica as well when you search one in Huacachina.
The Good:
Huacachina is a unique place. I wouldn’t write a “city” rating for a small place like this if it wasn’t that spectacular. You have probably never seen something like this in the world, so don’t miss it when in Peru. Visiting Huacachina can also be done as a day trip from Lima. It takes four hours to get there (and four hours to get back).
Most travellers go do Huacachina because of the sand buggy and sand boarding experience, which is quite fun. As the little oasis is a popular spot for backpackers, you can also find parties almost every night. And it’s not very expensive.
The Bad & The Ugly:
There is no ATM in Huacachina! Actually, there is one but it is out of money all the time. So bring enough cash. Many bars, restaurants and travel agencies don’t accept credit cards. If you run out of money you have to take a taxi to Ica, which costs 16 Soles for both ways.
Don’t expect to get a good amount of restaurants in the desert oasis. As mentioned before, the town is very small and some of the restaurants are not high quality, although there are 2-3 real good ones. Moreover, the many stray dogs might be annoying to some.
It’s also certainly not a place to spend a week. One or two days are more than enough.
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