Barranca to Huacachina is about 306 road miles (492 km): roughly 7 h 16 min at the wheel if you don't stop.
Full advisory: Peru. Advisory issued: Peru September 04, 2026; checked October 10, 2026.
On the roads, the State Department says:
- Peru: “Due to road safety risks, U.S. government employees working in Peru are prohibited from nighttime driving.”
| Total distance | 306 mi (492 km) |
|---|---|
| Time at the wheel, no stops | 7 h 16 min |
| Main roads, in order | PE-1N → LM-101 → PE-1S |
| Regions on the route | Lima, Lima Province, Ica |
| Fuel estimate (car at 25 mpg) | about 12.2 gal; actual use varies by vehicle and traffic |
| Stops listed below | 9 |
On the road from Barranca to Huacachina
PE-1S (181 mi) and PE-1N (112 mi) carry about 96% of the 306 miles. It runs through 3 regions: Lima, Lima Province, Ica. Of the 9 stops listed below, 4 are within a mile of the road.
Barranca to Huacachina: the road sequence
| Road | Route miles (from–to) | Length, mi | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| local roads | 0–2 | 2 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 2–23 | 21 | Lima |
| LM-101 | 23–30 | 7 | Lima |
| connecting roads | 30–31 | 1 | Lima |
| PE-1N | 31–122 | 91 | Lima, Lima Province |
| PE-1S | 122–303 | 181 | Lima Province, Lima, Ica |
| local roads | 303–306 | 3 | Ica |
- Mile 85 of this route: Lima → Lima Province (region line)
- Mile 155 of this route: Lima Province → Lima (region line)
- Mile 230 of this route: Lima → Ica (region line)
What to see on the way from Barranca to Huacachina
- Right off the route (under 1 mile): Chancay Museum (mile 71), Huaca Pro (mile 108), National Museum of Peru (mile 138), La Centinela (mile 240)
- Nature and outdoors: Albufera El Paraíso (mile 37)
- Museums and history: Chancay Museum (mile 71), Colli Museum (mile 105), Huaca Pro (mile 108), Huaca Corpus I (mile 114), Mateo Salado (mile 115), Huaca Canto Chico (mile 118), National Museum of Peru (mile 138), La Centinela (mile 240)
Albufera El Paraíso
In Huaura Province, in the Lima region, Albufera El Paraíso is a saltwater lagoon where crabs, lizards, great egrets and flamingos live.
Chancay Museum
Chancay's municipal museum opened in 1991 inside the Castillo de Chancay and in 2012 moved to a new home facing the town's Plaza de Armas.
Colli Museum
Opened in 2003 by self-taught explorer Enrique Niquín, the Colli Museum (Museo de los Colli) in Lima's Comas district shows original and replica ceramics, maps, and models of the Collique Fortress.
Huaca Pro
On the left bank of the Chillón River in Lima's Los Olivos district, Huaca Pro is an archaeological site more than a thousand years old.
Huaca Corpus I
Part of the Pando group of huacas, the Corpus I archaeological complex sits in the lower Rímac Valley in Lima's Pando urbanization.
Mateo Salado
Five stepped, truncated pyramids make up the Mateo Salado archaeological complex, in Lima where the city's central district meets Breña and Pueblo Libre.
Huaca Canto Chico
Covering about 10,000 square meters, Huaca Canto Chico is an archaeological site in the San Juan de Lurigancho district of Lima.
National Museum of Peru
Opened in July 2021 within the Pachacamac archaeological zone in Lurín, the National Museum of Peru is planned to hold pre-Columbian and Inca artifacts dating back to 5,000 BCE.
La Centinela
Between Chincha Baja and Tambo de Mora, La Centinela was the main late settlement of the Chincha lordship and later became the seat of Inca administration in the valley.
Once you reach Huacachina
St. Jerome Cathedral, Ica
Also called Ica Cathedral, St. Jerome Cathedral is a Catholic church in the city of Ica, Peru.
Regional Museum of Ica "Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins"
Ica's regional archaeological museum, named for Adolfo Bermúdez Jenkins, focuses on the different Indigenous cultures that lived in Peru.
More drives to Huacachina
- Lima to Huacachina
- Huaral to Huacachina
- Churin to Huacachina
- Tarma to Huacachina
- Cerro de Pasco to Huacachina
- Oxapampa to Huacachina
From Barranca to other places in Peru
- Barranca to Churin
- Barranca to Aguaytía
- Barranca to Tocache
- Barranca to Juanjuí
- Barranca to Tarma
- Barranca to Jauja
Frequently asked questions
How long is the drive from Barranca to Huacachina?
About 7 h 16 min of driving without stops, over 306 miles.
What is the driving distance from Barranca to Huacachina?
About 306 miles (492 km) on the Wayro route. Other map services may show a few miles more or less, depending on where they start and end in each city.
What does the U.S. travel advisory say about the Barranca to Huacachina drive?
The U.S. State Department rates Peru Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Read the full advisory before you go.
Which highways go from Barranca to Huacachina?
In order: PE-1N, LM-101 and PE-1S. The road-by-road table above shows the route miles for each one.
What are good stops between Barranca and Huacachina?
Closest to the road: Chancay Museum (museum, mile 71, 0.4 mi from the route); Huaca Pro (archaeological site, mile 108, 0.4 mi from the route); National Museum of Peru (museum, mile 138, 0.6 mi from the route). All stops are described above.
How we put this guide together
Wayro calculates the route from OpenStreetMap road data; mile numbers are positions along this route, not highway markers, and "from the route" distances are straight-line, so the real detour depends on access roads. Stops are chosen from parks, natural sites, museums, historic sites and attractions close to the route: at least one strong stop for each stretch of the drive, then the best-known places nearest the road, up to nine in all. Places that are closed, private or not open to visitors are removed. Place descriptions are written by the Wayro team from official park, museum, tourism and government websites and other published sources. Safety levels and entry rules were checked against the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2026. Conditions change, so check the linked sources before you travel.
Route data © OpenStreetMap contributors.