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DUNE BUGGY AND SANDBOARDING A THRILLING ADVENTURE TOUR ON HUGE SAND DUNES

TOUR DESCRIPTION:

For the past 12 years, the desert oasis of Huacachina has served as the site of one of the most popular adventure tours in South America: the dune buggy and sandboarding tour. People of all ages – including kids, teenagers, and adults – all visit Huacachina and climb into a 4-wheel-drive dune buggy driven by a professional driver. We can offer this tour as a group tour with other travelers, or privately.

Half the tour is riding in the dune buggy, up and down the dunes at fast speeds. And the other half of the tour is a chance to try the adventure sport of “sandboarding”. This is just like snowboarding, but instead of snow you will be boarding on the fine-grained sand of the desert. If you aren’t athletically talented, no problem! Just lay on your stomach on the board, and go “sand sledding”. This is faster, lots of fun, and doesn’t require any patience or ability.

The dune buggy and sandboarding tour is an amazing thrill ride. But this is more than just a thrill ride: the gigantic sand dunes are beautiful, surreal and mesmerizing. A tour into the desert feels like an “out of this world” experience, almost like visiting the surface of another planet.

We often have visitors who want to experience the beauty of the dunes but are not looking for excitement or adrenalin. We created the SLOW AND RELAXING DUNE BUGGY TOUR. Instead of racing up and down the dunes, on this private tour we will take you on a relaxing exploration of the desert at a moderate pace.

You will have multiple opportunities to take photographs. And you will be able to watch the amazing sunset over the dunes. This tour is romantic and relaxing, and you are welcome to bring your own bottle of champagne or wine and some glasses with you!

INCLUDED IN THE TOUR:

A ride in a 4-wheel-drive dune buggy and a chance to try sandboarding on several dunes of increasing size

The 10 AM and 1 PM tours last for one hour. The recommended 4 PM tour lasts for two hours.

Professional buggy driver with many years of experience -Basic Sandboard and wax (professional boards are available for rent for an extra fee in Huacachina)

PARACAS
PARACAS NATURAL SEA RESERVE

World Heritage Natural Side

Paracas is a Quechua name, means “raining sand”. It is located 250km south of Lima. The Paracas bay is always remembered for the landing os September 8th, 1820 of Jose de San Martin and his army to begin the battle for Peru´s independence from Spain. Paracas is the departure point to reach the Paracas National Reserve, provides a sanctuary to 74 species of plants that grow in this extremely arid area, and to 216 species of birds, 16 types of mammals, 10 species of reptiles and 193 species of fish. Only protected natural marine area, it covers 3350 square kilometres, 65% of it sea and 35% land and islands. The Paracas National Reserve provides an opportunity to easily watch resident and migratory birds, including flamencos, red-legged cormorants, Inca terns, Peruvian boobies, Humboldt penguins, Guanay cormorant, Neotropical cormorant, Turkey vulture, etc.

The archaeology also is present at this zone. In 1925 archaeology team reported the find of hundreds of mummy bundles in the Paracas peninsula area, Julio C. Tello were study the Paracas ancient culture which readiocarbon tests dated to 7000BC and a significant number of skulls that had trepanation marks.

ITINERARY

At 08:00, 11:00 or 14:00 pick up from your hotel and then go by tourist bus to Paracas National Reserve, declared World Heritage Natural Side by UNESCO. The reason for this rich wildlife is the cold upwelling of the Humboldt Current. The sharp contrast between the desert and the sea also provides a stunning landscape. The tour begins with the excursion to this reserve of Paracas, Julio C. Tello Museum, continues the visit to the Cathedral and La Boveda, where we do short walk around the sea going in to the cave, several viewpoints of Wolves and Lagunillas beach, where it will be possible to be enjoyed the sun and the sea having lunch. These areas are considered by the geographic location one becomes strangest and richest ecosystems in the world.

The entire trip takes around 4 hours and ends with drop off at your hotel or bus station in Paracas/Pisco.

NAZCA

ANTONINI ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

The small but extensive Museo Arqueologico Antonini displays artifacts, pottery, textiles, mummies, and more from the Nazca Culture. Learn about the geography of the desert coast where early civilizations flourished and how to decipher the symbols and iconography that decorate ceramics and textiles. Additional holdings include photos of famous Nazca lines, models of Nazca homes, and trophy heads found at Cahuachi.

MARIA REICHE MUSEUM

Formerly the home of Dr. Maria Reiche, a German mathematician who dedicated her life to the study of the enigmatic Nazca Lines, this small museum preserves a clutter of maps, diagrams, photographs, artifacts, and a scale model of the Nazca Lines, as well as Reiche’s personal belongings. Reiche moved to this humble house on the edge of the desert in order to be closer to the site. She is known to have swept dust off the lines with a broom and at one point she used her personal funds to hire a guard to protect the site from interlopers. The museum is located 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the Nazca Lines Observation Tower.

LOS PAREDONES

One kilometer from the Nazca city center, “Los Paredones” represents the remnants of an Incan administrative complex that monitored passage between the mountains and the coast. Built during the reign of Tupac Yupanqui and on top of Nazca ruins, the archaeological site includes a central plaza, buildings for administrative, ceremonial, and residential purposes, and a mix of adobe and stone walls. The latter are rarely seen on the Peruvian coast and display the Inca style of polished stone architecture.

CANTALLOC AQUEDUCTS

The Nazca people not only executed massive drawings, they also constructed amazing works of hydraulic engineering that allowed them to thrive in the arid environment. Nazca builders dug wells to reach underwater sources and then used stone and huarango wood to construct subterranean channels that carried the water to reservoirs. With access to water, the Nazca could irrigate the dry desert land for agriculture and grow crops including cotton, corn, beans, potatoes, and various fruits.

Just outside Nazca city, Cantalloc (or Cantayo) preserves the best examples of these aqueducts. More than 30 of these still function today. Locals still use them to irrigate their farms. Openings in the channels, called puquios, are arranged in spirals or concentric circles and provide access to the channels for maintenance and cleaning.

CAHUACHI

Located 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the city of Nazca, Cahuachi was a pre-Columbian ceremonial center in use from 1 AD until 500 AD. The type and number of artifacts indicate that this was a pilgrimage site occupied for pan-Andean ceremonies. Its importance began to wane with the decline of the Nazca Culture around 300 AD. Significant structures include a large adobe pyramid 150 meters (490 feet) long and 28 meters (90 feet) tall, as well as 40 natural mounds topped with adobe structures.

A team of Italian archaeologists has been excavating the site since 1982. Access to Cahuachi is still restricted and visits must be arranged in advance. As an alternative, the Museo Antonini exhibits important remains found at Cahuachi.

CEMENTERY OF CHAUCHILLA

Situated 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Nazca city, the pre-Inca necropolis of Chauchilla is home to mummies and other ancient remnants perfectly conserved by the arid Nazca desert. Most of the site has been sacked of its archeological treasures, yet Chauchilla is unique because its mummies are still in original tombs — rare in Peru — and it was used successively by the Wari, the Poroma, and the Inca cultures. The site has been protected since the late 1990s.