Rolling in from a distance, it looked magical. A shimmering lagoon nestled between towering sand dunes, just like the postcards promised.
But then, as we got closer…
A row of old men sat in plastic chairs, watching the bus pull in like punters at a dodgy auction, eyeing up how much cash they could fleece. Behind them, a workshop if you could even call it that was piled high with scrap parts, rusting fridges, half-built buildings, and anything else that looked like it had been salvaged from a landfill.
If Paracas was supposed to be a gem and turned out to be a complete dive, then what fresh disaster awaited us here?
Dread set in.
But then, just as we braced for the worst, Huacachina started to redeem itself. The lagoon, framed by swaying palms, actually was beautiful.
And thankfully our hotel was a massive step up. A large garden courtyard, security on the gate, a pool, and air-con. After Paracas, that honestly felt like pure luxury.
Maybe, just maybe, this place wasn’t going to be another letdown.
Adventures in the Oasis
Determined to make the most of it, we rented sandboards and hit the dunes. While fun, it’s definitely not like being on snow it more of a controlled friction burning slide, or in some cases, an uncontrolled tumble. Still, we had fun Georgia hasn’t drank enough and moaned, but we all had a few slides and that’s what mattered. (Honestly at 30deg walking up a dune literally kills you, no chair lifts)
At 4PM, while we were on a dune, the desert exploded into life.
From nowhere, hundreds of dune buggies arrived, roaring across the sand, kicking up dust, and filling the horizon. It was honestly like a scene from Mad Max a full-on desert invasion of petrol-fuelled chaos. The peaceful oasis we had just been admiring suddenly felt like the starting line of some dystopian death race. The noise, the speed, the sheer number of them it was mad.
We also took a pedalo out onto the lagoon, a slower paced way to take in the oasis. Drifting on the water, surrounded by towering dunes, was one of those rare moments where the place actually felt peaceful.
The next morning when it was quieter I couldn’t resist popping up the DJI Mini 2 for a few aerial shots. While the girls were in the pool, Running it over the dunes was incredible, but trying to see what I was actually filming on the phone screen in the harsh sunlight? Nearly impossible. So, I’ll have to wait until I can properly review the footagebut hopefully, it captured the surreal beauty of this little oasis.
We also ate out at various restaurants and the average price for us 4 was about £17 including a tip so it’s cheap (and they are the premium establishments overlooking the oasis),
Final Thoughts
Before arriving, we were warned Huacachina was far worse than Paracas.
In reality? It was far, far better.
Sure, it’s rough around the edges, but unlike Paracas, it actually has something to offer. Once you get past the scrapyard entrance, there’s a charm to the place. It may not be a luxury retreat, but it was a world away from the chaos we had just escaped.
Almost… relaxing. ☺️
P.S. The Adventure Continues…
Just as we were getting on our bus, we’ve now been told that a massive landslide has hit after Nazca. Apparently, no one is leaving, so we might end up stuck there for a few days.
Because, of course why wouldn’t there be a bit of extra chaos thrown into the mix?
Stay tuned… this could get interesting.
