The only natural desert oasis in South America is buried among Peru's greatest sand dunes in a vast desert. Huacachina, right behind Machu Picchu, is one of Peru's most popular tourist destinations, and it's home to fantastic local mythology.
Image from Diego Delso
Huacachina's Legend
According to Huacachina's legend, the oasis was created by a maiden named Huacachina's tears shed as she mourned her beloved's death.
The lagoon was built after days and nights of wailing. She plunged into the lagoon to hide from a passing warrior and escape noticed.
Huacachina, according to folklore, departs the lagoon every night of the full moon to continue mourning for her sweetheart. Visitors worldwide come to appreciate the views from the tops of the gigantic dunes or spend a quiet day on the ocean because of this renowned and distinctive beauty.
The creation of an oasis can be influenced by various causes, including climate conditions, surface rivers, rainstorms, and other natural forces. Despite the legends, experts believe that Hucacahina was formed by a water stream that flowed underground, causing plants and trees to sprout in the middle of a desert.
Oasis
According to AccuWeather's chief international meteorologist Jason Nicholls, countries in Africa and the Middle East are dry and mostly rely on the oasis to grow crops. The Al-Hassa Oasis, encompassing over 30,000 acres of land in Saudi Arabia, is the world's biggest oasis. By comparison, Hucacahina, barely two acres in size, appears tiny.
Hucacahina was once a popular destination for wealthy travelers passing through the desert despite its tiny size. According to the Huacahina town website, the oasis is a "must-see" for anyone visiting Peru.
Huacachina's climate is typical of a desert environment: dry and warm, but not scorching hot regularly. The standard high temperature of Huacachina is in the low 80s in early February, near the middle of summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature may quickly soar into the 90s depending on other circumstances at that time of year.
Temperatures range from a high of 69 degrees in the afternoon to a low of 57 degrees at night from late July to almost the end of August. In a typical year, the region receives only 4 inches of rain.
A Great Experience
Visitors to Huacachina will find various ways to soak in the beauty of the area. Many visitors take a trek up the dunes to see the sunrise or sunset, while others take a rowboat tour around the lagoon.
People must take a bus from Ica, the nearest metropolis, to and from this little settlement. You may take a bus to get there, but the "Peru Hop" bus is the most popular.
On Youtube and Instagram, Xander Bijsterveld, a travel blogger from the northern Netherlands, detailed his trip to Huacachina. Instead of acclimating to the nation in the large metropolis, Bijsterveld made Huacachina his first visit when he arrived in Peru.
In an interview with AccuWeather, Bijsterveld said they loved the idea that it was a smaller area with more options for various and exciting activities.
During November 2021, which is spring in South America, Bijsterveld spent three days in the little desert oasis and claimed he loved hiking the sand dunes that overlooked the oasis. The "insane beauty of the dunes at sunset" was his favorite part of the trip.
There is "plastic rubbish everywhere" in Huacachina, according to Bijsterveld, despite its beauty. Conservation efforts to protect the natural oasis and its plants are underway, according to Huacachina's official website.
Dune buggy excursions - and "sandboarding" trips - are suitable for some of the sand dunes that encircle the lake in the middle of Hucacahina, some of which are as high as 6,817 feet above sea level.
At Risk?
Unfortunately, Huacachina is slowly diminishing. Due to neighboring drilling and increasing evaporation throughout the summer, the lagoon's water levels have dropped in recent years. According to the Peruvian Times, the town has started pumping water into the lagoon from outside sources to protect the natural oasis.
Hucacahina was "an extraordinarily interesting spot" with a lake and rich flora among large dunes, according to two Americans who visited in 2021 and told AccuWeather. One of their greatest vacation memories was a dune buggy ride, which they shared with AccuWeather.
