Huacachina

Sand Boarding

Ever fancied having a go at snow-boarding but chickened out at the thought of all those painful next-day bruises? Welcome to the new adventure sport of sand boarding, a softer and warmer way to hit the slopes. Surrounded by dunes, Huacachina is the sand-boarding capital of the world: every year European sports fans arrive here in droves to practice for the international sand-surfing competitions on Cerro Blanco, the massive dune 14 km (8 mi) north of Nazca.

With no rope tows or chairlifts to get you up the dunes, the easiest way to have a go at sand boarding is to go on a dune buggy tour, offered by just about every hotel in town. In these converted vehicles you'll be driven (quickly) to the top of the dunes, upon which you can board, slide, or slither down to be picked up again at the bottom. Drivers push their vehicles hard, so be prepared for some heart-stopping moments. Carola del Sur guesthouse has the biggest fleet of dune buggies and runs two tours daily at 10 AM and 4 PM. The tours last around two hours and cost S/40.