Proof that oases do exist!
A tiny village wrapped around a small lake, itself surrounded by miles and miles of barren desert, Huacachina looks like something from a storybook or cartoon.
It’s located near the city of Ica in the southwest of Peru. An icon of the country, its image can be found on the back of a 50 Nuevo Sol.
How Huacachina came to be is the subject of much debate. Legend has it the oasis was created in the moment a bathing princess had to escape the clutches of a young hunter. While she fled, her bathwater became the lagoon while her gown became the surrounding dunes, so the tale goes.
Geologists would no doubt speak of a spring. But as the old adage goes, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
Practically all the buildings here are connected to tourism, with many serving as hotels or backpacker hostels. While of course the oasis is in itself an attraction, many visitors come here for sandboarding and buggy rides in the surrounding dunes.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
(Featured image: Charles Gadbois)
