Huacachina: Sandboarding and Dune Buggy in the Desert

Having arrived in Lima on a Monday, our first weekend in Peru was spent escaping the city limits in search of adrenaline inspired adventures in Huacachina in the form of sandboarding and dune buggy riding. Having experienced this desert based activity five years ago I knew exactly what we were getting ourselves into; however, I downplayed the situation slightly to Audrey ;) What exactly is it like to be riding dune buggies in the desert? It's like a rollercoaster in the sand. Even the most seasoned extreme adventure sports lovers scream and nervously laugh like hyenas racing down dunes like it is nobody's business. It's a healthy dose of excitement with more than just a pinch of craziness. Sandboarding, on the other hand, doesn't exactly present an opportunity for your adrenaline levels to calm down. Equally as stimulating to the nervous system, you race down sand dunes head first experiencing a steep incline. You're racing down the dunes at such high velocity, It's only mere seconds before you go from the top of the dune to the bottom. Although these activities in Huacachina (just outside of Ica) may induce a few grey hairs we wholeheartedly recommend it. After all, if you're not doing something that scares you every once in a while you aren't truly living!
PS. To rent a private dune buggy with a guide and access to three dunes for sand boarding it costs roughly 50 Soles per person based on a three person tour. This is roughly $50 in total.
Huacachina: Sandboarding and Dune Buggy in the Desert Travel Video Transcript:
Welcome to Huacachina. Today we're going to be having some fun in the desert and first up we're riding dune buggies.
Woo!
Woah! Screaming!
Enough of an adrenaline rush so far? Oh my goodness. We've only been doing this for a few minutes and I'm already feeling wobbly and shakey. I've just been screaming the whole time. You know what, I did this five years ago and we haven't even done the scariest stuff yet. So how do you feel about that? Nervous.
Si. Es Pacito.
Screaming. Hahaha.
Hahaha.
Screaming.
So this is challenge number two. Sandboarding. Are you up for it? I thought the first dune was pretty scary. This is even steeper.
How was it? Woo!
Woo Hoo!
Hahaha. Laughing and screaming.
I'm going. Oh, my gosh. Oh my gosh. Screaming.
How was it? I broke my shoe in the process.
Hahaha.
We suffered one casualty today. My shoe didn't make the third run.
Well they say, if you don't do something scary every day you're not really living. So, I think this qualifies. It was so much fun but completely terrifying at the same time. I think I screamed the whole way. Just me screaming. That is the soundtrack to this. What was more terrifying - the dune buggy or going down head first on the sandboard. Both. Both are equally terrifying. Like you have no control over either of them. But highly recommended if you come to Peru. Do it.
So for the three of us to do a private tour it was 50 Soles per person which works out to roughly $50 total.
And we've got an awesome driver. If they want to go with you how can they find you? Speaking in Spanish.
This is part of our Travel in Peru series. We're making a series of videos showcasing Peruvian culture, Peruvian arts, Peruvian foods, Peruvian religion, Peruvian cuisine and Peruvian people.
Proudly presented by: &
All photos and video taken by Samuel Jeffery (Nomadic Samuel) and Audrey Bergner (That Backpacker).
Music in this video courtesy of Audio Network