Five Reasons You Should Go Sandboarding in the Peruvian Desert

Ravi Blogger

July 02, 2024

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Five Reasons You Should Go Sandboarding in the Peruvian Desert

Pulling into the oasis of Huacachina was surprisingly anticlimactic. From a distance, the small town just a few minutes from Ica, Peru, looks like something from a Disney movie. A large lake in the middle of the desert, that, if you zoomed out enough, looks like something you could create by sticking your finger into the sand on the beach.

Huacachina has become an increasingly popular stop for tourists in Peru of late, thanks to the wide range of activities available to do in the desert that include hiking, dune buggying, sandboarding and, for those a bit steadier on their feet, skiing in the sand.

Hiking up the sand dunes in Peru to watch the sunset seems like fun, until you’re inside the oasis watching the tiny figures walk the perimeter of the oasis, looking like ants about to be obliterated by a magnifying glass. It gets hot - really hot - in Huacachina, and its unique location gives it an unforgivable climate.

On that note, if you take one lesson from this article, let it be this: book accommodation in Huacachina with a swimming pool.

What is Sandboarding?

Sandboarding is the act of skating down a sand dune on a flat board, usually made of wood. You can do it in several ways, the most common of which is to stand on the board, as though you were snowboarding or skateboarding. However, for the amateurs amongst us, there is another option: to go down lying flat, which is how they do it on most of the tourist experiences you can take sandboarding in Peru.
Why Go Sandboarding in Huacachina?

There are a few other desert-roaming opportunities in Peru, even when you stick to the coastal route from Lima to Cusco that is most frequented by travellers, which might deter you from visiting Huacachina. You can go sand buggying or hiking in Paracas, too, and there are some tours from Arequipa, however I can assure you that Arequipa has a much longer list of activities to keep you occupied.

I highly recommend visiting Huacachina, if only to say when you leave that you have stayed in an actual oasis in the desert, because that is pretty cool.

Here are five reasons not to miss this incredible sand boarding experience.

Why Should You Go Sandboarding in Peru?

It’s About the Journey, Not the Destination

Okay the sandboarding was fun, it was really fun, but getting there was even better. You’re strapped into a dune buggy with rollercoaster-style buckles, and you quickly find out why. The drivers of the dune buggies are naturals, racing through the desert like you really are on a rollercoaster. It’s not unusual to hear screams coming from other vehicles as they plummet head-first down huge drops, and then seconds later find screams coming from your own mouth as your driver takes an unexpected turn down what feels like a cliff-edge.

It was like being on a rollercoaster without the track, and although you do have to put a little faith into the hands of the drivers to know what they’re doing, it’s a thrill as exhilarating as shooting down a sand dune head-first.

Five Reasons You Should Go Sandboarding in the Peruvian Desert
Five Reasons You Should Go Sandboarding in the Peruvian Desert

Sandboarding is Energising

Yep, you heard me right: head-first. Whilst the seasoned snowboarders and skiers get to hit the (sand) slopes upright, the rookies (that’s me) are not trusted with their own ankles. And I don’t blame them, I definitely would have fallen over. You get to the top of the sand dune and your guide will put wax onto the boards to help them glide more easily over the sand. You take a board each, line up one-by-one, and the guide will lie you face-down on your board and make sure you’re positioned correctly. You can brake by digging your feet into the sand behind you.

And then they give you a good push!

Anyone Can Sandboard

The great thing about this activity is that it’s not limited to people with pre-learned skills. Anyone can lie down, right? And, whilst exhilarating, I wouldn’t say it’s something your faint-hearted friends can’t join in on, especially because you can, to a point, choose your own speed by braking.

This is why it’s great for a varied group of people, and accessible to anyone who wants to dip their toe into the waters of thrill seeking activities.

Sandboarding Isn’t Too Exertive

Whilst you should be in good general health to take part in any active activity, there’s nothing too strenuous involved. Once you group together at the bottom of the sand dune with your fellow sandboardees, the guide will drive down and pick you up in the dune buggy. (Which is great, because remember what I said earlier about walking up the dunes being harder than it looks?)

Besides the short walk from Huacachina town to where the buggies are parked, there is very minimal physical activity involved.

It will be the Best Sunsets Of Your Life

Last but absolutely not least (if anything, this should have gone at the top of the list), is the sunset you catch in the Peruvian desert. Once you’ve scooted down a few dunes (of course this will change based on your tour and guide, but I think we did five, and the last one was the biggest), you’ll pile back into the buggy and they’ll take you to the highest point around to watch the sunset. We were allowed to climb up on top of the buggy, and our guide had us all jumping into the air for photos.


Even after four months of non-stop travel, watching the sun set over the Peruvian desert was one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen.

About Auther
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Isabella is a writer and editor born and raised in the UK, currently living in Portugal. She also writes for Food, Travel, Explore about her recent trip through Central and South America.