June is thé Festival Month in Peru! Peruvian festivals are, by nature, gregarious expressions of joy, pride and vitality. The dynamic celebrations come in many forms but what unites them all is the fusion of music, dance, colour and, above all, jubilation. Every visitor to Peru should experience these first class examples of Peruvian culture.

Arguably the most significant of these is the Inti Raymi Festival. In Andean mythology, the Incas were considered descendents of the Sun, and this festival is a celebration and sacrifice to the Sun God, Inti. The impressive ceremony sees a brightly coloured entourage of personalities representing the population of the four parts of the world.

This month there is a unique opportunity to visit an authentic Incan festival held high in the Andean mountains. If you are interested in witnessing first-hand Incan ceremonies & traditions in a small indigenous village under the stunning backdrop of one of the most striking peaks in the Vilcanota mountain range then please read on…

Among the many enchanting festivals that punctuate Peru´s annual calendar, the Qoyllority Festival stands out as one of the most intriguing of all.

Observing the ancient Incan belief in the intricate link between man and nature, each year thousands of pilgrims gather to celebrate Qoyllority, the Lord of the Snow Star. As legend has it the adulated snow star rests on the peak of the sacred mountain of ApuAusangate, located 180 kilometres South East of Cusco and towering at a dramatic 6362m.

Huacachina is a beautiful oasis located 5km southwest of Ica. It is a small and attractive lagoon that was traditionally revered for the believed medicinal properties of its waters. Nowadays it is famous for the more exhilarating activities of sand-boarding and dune buggying!

Sand-boarding excursions leave twice a day at either 10am or 4pm, the best option of which is undoubtedly the latter. Not only is the sand markedly cooler underfoot, but after two hours of adrenaline pumping activity you will find yourself soaring across the endless sand dunes with the most beautiful sunset you have ever seen as your backdrop.

The tour begins on the dunes next to the oasis where you climb aboard a ´Wacky Racer´ style buggy and prepare for a speedy ascent up into the dunes. After a rollercoaster ride of dips and turns your driver drops you at the summit of some of the perfectly shapen dunes and you are issued with your sand board, along with a piece of wax to rub on the base of your board for speed increasing purposes!

From here on you will spend two hours flying headfirst (or standing up if you have the skills!) down the dunes of the truly stunning landscape of the Peruvian coast. After reaching the base of one dune you will be met by your buggy and taken to the top of another dune, each time getting higher and higher as you become more confident in your sand-boarding ability.