Ica is a small city in southern Peru; it's a four-hour drive from Lima and is known for its natural oasis, Huacachina. It can also be a hub from which to visit Paracas National Reserve, also known as the "Galapagos of the Poor."
Although public transportation is available, we took a private tour that included a ride to Huacahina from Lima and back, including a tour guide, tickets for Huacachina sand buggying, and a boat ride to Ballestas Island.
Below you will find our recommendations on what to do while in Ica and Huacachina, including where to eat, some unusual sites to visit, and other tips to consider when planning your trip.
1. Visit The Oasis
Although we visited Ica and Paracas, Huacachina was our base. Huacachina is a small Oasis surrounded mainly by hotels, food, and entertainment venues. We woke up early to walk around and see the beautiful scenery. You can also walk up the dunes for a better vantage point.
We stayed at the Banana Hostel, which is located around the oasis. The hostel is one of the highest-rated places to stay in Huacachina. We took the most expensive room type they had, which was still reasonably priced. Although the location is excellent by the lake, we found the hostel very basic. Our bathroom window had gaps that let bugs in, and we had to stuff it with a plastic bag to keep the mosquitos away. The bathroom didn't have a door, and there was insufficient storage in the room. The pool and the bar in the middle of the compound can be loud at night, but the music stops at eleven. The bar serves basic Peruvian and Western food and cocktails. If you are there for a quick trip, it could be an ok place to stay.
2. Go Sand Buggying on the Dunes
While in Huacachina, the best way to enjoy the dunes is by taking a buggy ride. We took the sunset tour, which we recommend as you will enjoy a beautiful sunset right on the dunes at the end of the ride.
The buggy ride is thrilling, and we highly recommend it if you are in good physical health. The drivers show their skills on the dunes by taking you up and down a roller coaster ride. Once on the dunes, you can sandboard to add to the thrill.
The final part of the trip is enjoying the sunset from the middle of the desert, which is a beautiful experience.
3. Visit Ballestas Islands
The Ballestas Islands are accessible from Paracas, located about a 45-minute drive from Huacachina. To go to Ballestas Islands, you must take a boat from Paracas.
The boat will stop by the El Candelabro, a large-scale geoglyph on the way to the islands. The prehistoric geoglyph is cut two feet into the soil, and stones are placed around it. It is estimated to be 595 feet tall and could be seen from 12 miles at sea. Many legends have been told about the geoglyph, and the mystery of its origins is still unknown.
Ballestas Islands are known for their rich wildlife like sea lions, penguins, and different species of birds that you can enjoy from the boat.
4. Try the local food and Drinks
Ica is known for Pisco wine, which is made in the area. Many wineries offer free tasting if you want to try different kinds of Pisco and understand how it is made. Rita del Pisco has many Pisco tasting venues, and the restaurant La Olla de Juanita is ajecent theTres Generacions La pureza del Pisco tasting room.
We tried La Olla De Juanita based on the recommendation of our tour guide. This restaurant is worth going to Huacachina for. It offers traditional food, among the best dishes we had in Peru. Some of their most popular dishes, lomo saltado with tacu tacu, duck with green rice, and the secco de rez and potato, were outstanding, but everything we tried just blew our minds and palate. The passion fruit juice you will see in pitchers is terrific, so grab a pitcher to wash down your food.
5. Visit Ica
Ica is the capital of the Department of Ica in southern Peru. You can drive around the busy city and visit the city center, Plaza de Armas, where the Ica Cathedral is located. The cathedral was damaged in the 2007 earthquake and has since been rebuilt to look like the original.
If you like going off the beaten path, we recommend the Witch Village and the sculpture park dedicated to that. Cachiche is a community located four kilometers from Ica and is famous for its history of witchcraft. The story goes that during the Spanish Inquisition of the early modern age, when several women accused of being witches were hunted down for their beliefs, they escaped to Lima, where they didn't find the refuge for which they were looking. The women then moved further south to the Ica valley and settled in the village of Cachiche. The revived interest in alternative medicine in the 1980s brought this village back on the map. In Cachiche, you can find statues of famous witches who are believed to have lived in the area, and some still have descendants living there. The witch village tour guide will expect a small tip for walking you through the park and explaining the stories behind each witch.
Right around the corner is a Seven headed palm tree, associated with a witch's prediction for the destruction of the town of Ica. The palm tree has several trunks spawned from a single root system, and legend has it that a witch predicted that Ica would be destroyed by a flood when this strange palm would spourt the seventh head. Coincidentally, the year the palm sprouted its seventh head in 1988, Ica was flooded and about one thousand houses were impacted when the river overflowed. Since then, the locals cut or burn the seventh bush before it could grow and bring another flood.
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