Paracas and Huacachina
Location
Paracas and Huacachina are two small but incredibly fun places, around 250km South of Lima
Paracas Nature Reserve covers a large desert and marine area
Huacachina is a village nestled amongst sand dunes built around a small oasis
Paracas Dune Buggy
We explored Paracas Nature Reserve in a dune buggy!
We hired the dune buggy for 2 hours for around £20. Our guide led drove a moped, leading us around Paracas, over small sand dunes and on to various beaches.
The value of this activity seemed unparalleled throughout our trip. If you are brave enough, I would strongly recommend visiting the dessert area of the Paracas nature area this way rather than in a minibus.
Check out the videos and pictures below!
Paracas Marine Zone
We visited Paracas Marine Nature Reserve in a boat!
We saw sea lions, penguins, dozens of birds, a geogylph and lots of rocks, considered by the locals to look like animals!
The Paracas Candelabra shown below is a geoglyph (a human-made design on the ground) visible from the boat tour. It is 60cm deep, 170m tall and 60m wide. It is believed to be related to the Nazca Lines.
Huacachina Dune Buggy
Huacachina is a natural oasis surrounded by a huge dessert. Getting driven in a buggy across the sand dunes is a very popular activity.
Huacachina’s dunes are reserved for professional drivers. Having driven in Paracas the day before, I expected to miss the control — until I saw what they could do. What followed was a adrenaline-fuelled ride.
