Huacachina is a desert oasis and tiny village just west of the city of Ica in southwestern Peru.
At its center are the green waters of the Huacachina Lagoon, ringed by palm trees and thought to have therapeutic properties.
The lagoon’s shores are dotted with bars and clubs. Dune buggies run across the high, rolling sand dunes surrounding the village.
Commonly referred to as the “oasis of America”, locals believe that the water and mud of the area are therapeutic.
Both locals and tourists often bathe in the waters or cover themselves with the mud in an attempt to cure ailments such as arthritis, rheumatism, asthma, and bronchitis
Today, Huacachina is a resort geared to local families from the nearby city of Ica, and increasingly as an attraction for tourists drawn by the sports of sandboarding on the sand dunes that reach several hundred feet high.
Other popular activities include dune buggy rides on buggies known locally as areneros. Check out things you can do in the American Oasis
Discover the Legend of the Oasis
As legend has it, a young beautiful princess named Huacay China fell in love with a warrior and on hearing of his death, started to weep.
She went to their place of meeting and while looking in the mirror, saw her lover.
She was terrified and started to run, but dropped the mirror. The mirror then took the form of the lagoon, and Huacay dived in and became a mermaid.
Walk Over the Dunes
The dunes in Huacachina really are magnificent, and you can see them rolling off into the distance. If you fancy a hike, there are plenty of tall dunes to conquer, although be warned – climbing over sand is very hard work indeed.
Take a Pedalo or Boat out Around the Oasis
Why not cruise around this oasis in the middle of the barren desert and admire the outlines of the curving sand dunes surrounding you?
Go on a Buggy Rollercoaster
Depending on the attitude to risk of your driver (some of them seem to have absolutely no fear), you may feel as though you are on a rollercoaster.
Meanwhile, you will also hear the shrieks of other passengers in nearby buggies
Go have fun!
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