Zorbing in Huacachina: who can do it and who can't

Almost any healthy person can go zorbing in Huacachina: there's nothing to learn or drive, and you don't need to be especially fit. Who can't: anyone who's pregnant, at any stage. Who'd better not: anyone with back, neck or joint problems. Children have to meet a minimum age and a minimum height, which we confirm case by case. And if you have any medical condition, check with your doctor and tell us before you come, not at the top of the dune.

If you're still not sure what climbing into a ball and rolling down the sand actually involves, start with our post zorbing in Huacachina: what it is and how it feels. This one is about something else: the requirements, who can and who can't, and why. In more than 12 years on the Ica dunes we've learned that the most awkward moment in zorbing isn't the descent. It's telling someone, up top, with the ball already inflated, that today isn't their day. We'd rather say it here.

Who can do zorbing in Huacachina?

The list of who can is much longer than the list of who can't.

You can do it if you've never tried an adventure activity in your life. If you can't swim (there's no water involved). If driving the UTV scares you and you'd rather control nothing at all. If you're the healthy, game grandfather or the teenager who wants to film his sister's face.

A zorb is a double-layer inflatable ball. You ride in the inner chamber, and the air between the two layers cushions the movement. Our team closes the ball and releases it down a dune chosen for the purpose. From there, gravity takes over. Your only job is to let go. That's why so many people can do it.

What it does ask is that your body can handle a few moments of spinning and gentle bouncing without coming to harm. That's where the line is.

Who shouldn't do zorbing?

We'll say this plainly.

Pregnant: no. At no stage of pregnancy. Inside the ball you'll roll and bounce, and there's no controlling how. The UK's NHS advises against sports or activities with a risk of falling or bumping your tummy during pregnancy. Zorbing falls squarely into that category. If you're pregnant and travelling with a group, your place is outside the ball, taking photos alongside us, or on another activity you've cleared with your doctor.

Back, neck or joint problems: better not. A herniated disc, a neck injury, a recently operated knee, a shoulder that dislocates. The issue isn't the descent itself, which is cushioned by air; it's that your body tumbles without you deciding which position it lands in. If any of that has been playing up lately, this isn't the day to find out if it holds.

Any other condition that movement could aggravate. We're not going to play doctor here. If you have a heart condition, diagnosed vertigo, recent surgery or anything else giving you second thoughts, the person to ask is your doctor, not us and not a travel forum.

One more piece of advice, from what we see: if you've been drinking, leave it for another day. A churning stomach spinning inside a closed ball is a bad plan for you and for whoever goes in after you.

Kids and teens: minimum age and height

Children can go zorbing if they meet a minimum age and a minimum height, and are accompanied by an adult where required. We don't publish the numbers as a general rule because we confirm them case by case. Send us each child's age and rough height and we'll tell you if they're good to go.

Note that we ask for both. Some kids are tall for their age and some teenagers are short, and height matters as much as birth year.

What we often see with families: the older sibling climbs in delighted, the younger one is just under the height and watches with a long face. Asking beforehand avoids that. And when the little one can't zorb, the UTV is sometimes possible as a passenger, depending on age. We compare the two in kids in Huacachina: zorbing or UTV?.

What stays outside the ball (and what nearly everyone forgets)

Nothing hard or pointed goes inside the ball. It's inflated plastic, and a rigid object can tear it, or hurt you, while you're spinning. You go in barefoot.

The obvious things everyone knows: phone, keys, watch, glasses. Our team takes the photos and video from outside, so you don't need to carry anything. What nearly everyone forgets is this:

• Piercings. Ear piercings are visible; tongue, belly button or eyebrow ones aren't. If you have one you can't take out, tell us beforehand.
• The ring that won't come off. Especially a wedding ring, with fingers swollen from the heat. If you know it gets stuck, leave it at the hotel.
• Hair clips and bobby pins. Small, hard and pointy.
• Belt buckles. Easiest is to show up in comfortable clothes with no belt.

A tip that saves a lot of fuss on the dune: if you know you're going zorbing, arrive already without earrings, rings and the rest. Taking them off up there, with sand everywhere and no mirror, is more awkward than it sounds.

About the sun: since you go in barefoot, timing matters. At midday the sand genuinely burns. That's why we meet at 4:30 pm, when the sand is kinder and the light is better for photos. Even so, sand throws the sun back at you: the CDC notes that UV rays reflect off surfaces like sand, and Peru's weather service SENAMHI publishes a UV index forecast by region, Ica included. Sunscreen and water, even though the ride itself is short.

If you're comparing zorbing operators in Huacachina, ask three questions before you pay: is the ball double-layer, who picks the dune it's released down, and will they ask about your health before you get in? If nobody asks you anything, that's an answer in itself. More on how we work on our safety page.

To book zorbing, message us on WhatsApp at +51 967 564 701 with: the date, how many of you there are, ages (and rough height for any kids), if anyone is pregnant or has back, neck or joint problems, and if you'd like to combine it with the UTV on the same day. For that, see zorbing and UTV on the same day.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go zorbing while pregnant? No, at no stage of pregnancy. You're welcome to come with your group and watch from outside, but not to get in the ball.

What's the minimum age for zorbing in Huacachina? There's a minimum age and height that we confirm case by case. Send us each child's age and approximate height and we'll tell you if they can go.

Can I go zorbing with a bad back? Better not. Your body rolls and bounces without you controlling the position, and that can make a back, neck or joint injury worse. If you're unsure, ask your doctor and let us know beforehand.