Route
Lima ──── bus, ~4 h ──── Paracas ──── road, ~1 h ──── Ica / Huacachina
│ │
Promenade ─ Reserve tour Oasis ─ dunes (optional)
South of Lima the Pan-American Highway crosses a coastal desert that is among the driest in the world. Paracas, four hours down the road, sits on a sheltered bay. An hour inland, the city of Ica holds the small oasis of Huacachina, a lagoon ringed by palms and tall dunes. The two stops make a sensible loop of sand, sea and sky, and almost all of it is flat.
Take a bus from Lima to Paracas on the Monday after the race. Choose a daytime departure, because the road at night is poorer, and book in advance. From Paracas, a short taxi or bus connection leads to Ica.
May on this coast
May is cool and dry. Paracas has highs near 24 °C and a mist in the morning, with a stiff afternoon wind. Ica is warmer and clearer, with highs in the mid 20s, and dry sand heats up fast by midday. Pack a windproof layer for Paracas and a hat for Ica.
Night one: Paracas
The recovery walk is the bay promenade in Paracas, paved, flat and lined with seafood restaurants. Walk it slowly at sunset when the pelicans return. Stay at the Hotel Paracas, a Luxury Collection Resort on the shoreline, or at the Aranwa Paracas Resort, or choose a simpler hotel in town within a short walk of the promenade. Eat ceviche and grilled fish.
Day two: the reserve
The Paracas National Reserve is a desert coastline of red cliffs and empty beaches. A vehicle tour with a guide takes in the Red Beach (Playa Roja), a viewpoint over the sea, a visitor centre and the fishing village of Lagunillas. The walking is short and on firm ground, so sore legs cope with it. A boat trip to the Ballestas Islands is the alternative, with sea lions, boobies and sometimes penguins, if the sea is calm.
In the afternoon, transfer to Ica and Huacachina.
Night two: Huacachina
Huacachina is tiny, a lagoon, a ring of palms, a handful of restaurants and hotels, and dunes rising 100 m or more behind. The lagoon path is flat and short. The dunes are where visitors go for buggy rides and sandboarding at sunset. Both are rough on the body, since the buggies bounce hard. If you want a sunset trip after a marathon, ask the operator for a gentler ride, and skip the sandboarding.
The Hotel Mossone, a colonial-style hotel beside the lagoon, is a long-standing choice, and the Hotel Las Dunas in Ica has a large pool. Book ahead for weekends. Eat in the lagoon-side restaurants, and try the local pisco, which comes from the surrounding vineyards.
Day three: back to Lima
Take a bus back to Lima from Ica, which takes about four to five hours. Plan to arrive at least a full day before an international flight. Pisco bodegas around Ica offer short tastings if you have the morning free.
Getting home
Jorge Chávez airport (LIM) is on the north side of Lima. Buses from Ica arrive at terminals in central Lima, so allow extra time for a taxi to the airport. Check the bus timetables and dune-tour operators before you book.