With every trip I take there, Peru surprises me more and more. I had not imagined that in Peru’s leading wine producing city, that is also renowned for farming (avocado, asparagus, cotton), I would find a place that seems to be taken out of a dream: the desert!
At only 4 km outside the town of Ica, also known as “the miracle of the desert”, tourists can discover the desert landscape of Huacachina that is worth admiring time and time again
In the middle of the sand dunes that seem to be reflecting gold there is a lagoon that is surrounded by giant palm trees, hotels and restaurants which offer visitors exquisite moments of sheer relaxation. This green oasis in the middle of the desert is the stopping place after sandboarding.
The desert is a recreational place that can provide some adrenaline rush while riding in a buggy (a high sand adherence vehicle) among the majestic dunes that seem to touch the sky, or moments that take you back to your childhood, when you used to roll in the sand.
Interesting facts about Peruvian Desert sandboarding is an extraordinary sport that can cause panic along with shrieks caused by jumping off a steep dune, as well as bring smiles when the board speeds up and you see an infinite ocean of yellow under the wonderful blue sky.
The sandboard can be associated with a sleigh frisking through the snow, something that I miss about Romania. The sunset is impressive.
Across an area of about 100 square kilometers, tourists can enjoy a colonial town, the desert, the beach in Paracas and the Pacific Ocean.
I headed to the fishing town of Paracas, called “Sandstorm”. Its main tourist attractions are the Ballestas Islands and the Natural Reservation Park.
I left the Paracas port on a cruise ship off the Pacific Ocean. When the boat pierces through the waves, the experience is full of adrenaline. The first stop was near an island that is famous for a drawing made in the sand about 500 years ago. This mysterious chandelier-shaped drawing is 128 m high and 50 cm deep.
During the cruise, one can admire islands full of hundreds of pelicans, sea lions, tens of millions of sea birds, thousands of penguins and other mammals. The main attraction in the area is an island packed with thousands of seals scattered along the southern coast, with a rock depicting God contemplating the sea from a cove populated by seagulls. Seals can be admired while swimming into the clear ocean water, while sleeping on the shore or while sunbathing on the cliffs.
Another adventure that offers one of the most beautiful sights in Peru is the Paracas Natural Reservation. The tour by car through the desert with the isolated beaches that make up the southern reaches of the reservation should not be missed. The road in the middle of the desert, which looks like a national one, consists of sand, salt and pebbles. The landscape is of superbly coloured, because there are areas where the sand is yellow, white, mustard, and reddish.
At the entrance to the reservation there is a museum that has a path marked by stones to help you reach the hundreds of flamengo birds that can be admired in the Paracas Peninsula.
A spectacular landscape seen from a high shore that has been broken-down by earthquakes is provided by a rock called “The Cathedral”. You can enjoy the infinite clay-coloured sands, a small beach, and in the distance you can see a panettone-shaped island. The view was fascinating when dolphins riding the ocean waves appeared.
While travelling the desert, I reached a red sandy beach. There are no words to describe the Red Beach. Mesmerizing!
Another beach that is hidden among sand dunes is the Supay Beach, covered in whitish sand. Another place that seems taken out of story.
The last stop was at the Lagunillas Beach, ideal for a delicious lunch at one of the restaurants ashore. Tourists can swim with baby whales or stand next to penguins that roam the cliffs that are located 20 meters away from the shore. The crystal water, the unmistakably blue sky, the fine sand and an array of small frilly bays make out an image of incomparable beauty.
This explosion of colours, desert sandboarding, and the beaches washed by azure waves outline a fairytale image of the Peruvian desert.
During my travels, I have discovered places that I would like to visit again, but the places that I have just described in this article are worth visiting 1001 times over.
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Stay tuned, it’s coming soon
Loredana Dumitriu (Dascalu) is a travel blogger and the writer behind TRAVEL WITH ME LORE.
With a 10 years’ experience as a journalist and as a writer of 3 books, one of them about her 4 months adventure in Latin America – ‘Peru, the country of my dreams’, she only presents travel guides about destinations that she already visited.
- She has been in 30 countries and has visited more than 120 cities across different continents during the past 10 years.
- Loredana is a part-time digital nomad who wants to transform her passion for travel into a lifestyle.
- This blog was born because she loves traveling and wants to share her adventures with everyone.
Read more about Loredana here.
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