The Ica Valley is one of the oldest and most important agricultural regions of Perú.

The first grapes in Perú were planted here and crops like cotton and olives are just as important as the grapes. Ancient Incan irrigation methods also helped the Spanish establish the first vineyards throughout Chile and Argentina. You can thank Perú for that bottle of Chilean or Argentine wine you're so in love with. Bodega Tacama was a good introduction to Perú’s wine and pisco industry. Free tours (complete with a tasting) are available as well as paid tours if you’d prefer a more immersive experience. The property is beautiful, inviting and sure to draw you in. It was a great way to spend a day relaxing and sharing a bottle of something delicious on the patio.

Later that afternoon, we decided to check out the nearby oasis town, Huacachina, to potentially do some of the sand boarding that we kept hearing so much about. YIKES. The prices we were given during our inquiries were way too steep for our liking...especially after we spent hours sand boarding at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado for a fraction of the price. After a day of drinking wine, we wanted to keep the relaxation going so we grabbed a pizza at Wild Olive and hung out with fellow traveler friends for a movie night in their hostel common room. That was the best part of visiting Huacachina for us.

We decided to move on early the next day for some more beach hopping adventures down the Peruvian coast. All in all, we came out of this experience with good wine, good pisco and good pizza in our tummies. Win!