Ica

A desert oasis, sand dunes, and Peru's wine and pisco country.

Ica, about 4-5 hours south of Lima by road, pairs the postcard-famous Huacachina oasis -- a lagoon ringed by towering sand dunes, the base for dune buggy rides and sandboarding -- with Peru's main wine and pisco region, home to historic bodegas like Tacama, Ocucaje, Vista Alegre and the Queirolo family's vineyard estate. Nazca and its famous Lines lie a further 2-2.5 hours south; a day-trip overflight to see them departs from Ica's own airport, but Nazca itself is not yet covered as a destination on this site -- treat it here only as a possible add-on excursion from Ica.

Highlights

  • Huacachina oasis -- dune buggy rides and sandboarding on the surrounding dunes
  • Ruta del Pisco -- historic bodegas and wineries, tastings and vineyard tours
  • A day-trip flight to the Nazca Lines is possible from Ica's own airport
  • A warm, sunny desert climate year-round, a contrast to Lima's grey coastal winters

Best time to visit

Warm and mostly rainless year-round, since it's coastal desert -- but December through March is hottest (useful for the dunes and pool time), while June through September is milder and clearer, good for wine-route days.

Getting there

About 4-5 hours by road from Lima (roughly 186 miles south), by bus or private transfer, or as part of a Lima-Paracas-Ica circuit. Ica has its own small airport used mainly for Nazca Lines overflights, not regular commercial flights from Lima.

Hotels in Ica

Tours in Ica

Attractions in Ica

  • Huacachina Oasis – A palm-fringed lagoon in the middle of the desert, circled by some of the tallest sand dunes in Peru.
  • Pisco Route, Ica – Artisan pisco bodegas in the Ica valley: clay jars, copper stills, tastings and a Peruvian lunch.

Festivals in Ica