The sand dunes near Huacachina, Peru. Angela Ponce for The New York Times Paracas National Reserve, south of Lima. The word paracas means “rain of sand” in Quechua, Peru’s most widely spoken ...

The Pacific thrashes against the lofty cliffs of the Peruvian coast, abating at low tide to leave way for sweeping red-tinged beaches. Paracas, a small town on the crag-fringed shore, is situated ...