Ica

Where to stay

Budget beds cluster in Ica city proper, within a few blocks of the Plaza de Armas and along Avenida Tacna, keeping you walking distance from the regional museum, cheap set-menu lunches, and the bus terminal. Huacachina, the desert oasis a short taxi ride away, is where most tourists actually sleep, but it is a resort enclave with higher prices and no local infrastructure beyond bars and dune tours.

Getting around

• Use moto-taxis to get around Ica city; they cost a fraction of a car taxi and are the standard way locals cross town. For the trip to Huacachina, take a registered taxi with a rooftop sign and agree on the fare before getting in, as meters are rarely used.
• Huacachina is the main draw, but the dune buggy tours and sandboarding are best booked from agencies in the oasis itself rather than through your hostel in Ica city. Walk a few stalls to compare what is included, as prices and duration vary significantly.
• The region is the heart of Peruvian pisco production. Several wineries and bodegas near Ica city offer tours and tastings, often at a modest fee or free if you buy a bottle. It is a far cheaper and more authentic experience than the tourist-heavy distilleries in Lima.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest during the cooler, overcast months of May through September, when the coast is less crowded. Prices spike during the December-January holiday stretch and around Semana Santa, when domestic travelers flock to the desert oasis and the nearby Nazca Lines.