Incredible desert oasis wows residents and visitors alike
The tiny oasis situated among massive sand dunes in a vast desert has mythological origins, some say. But time may be running out for tourists hoping to visit the wondrous sight.
By
Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Feb 9, 2022 12:14 PM EDT
|
Updated Feb 9, 2022 12:14 PM EDT
Legend has it in Huacachina during every full moon, a mermaid leaves the lagoon and cries over her lost love.
Amid a vast desert, hidden among the largest sand dunes in Peru, lies the only natural desert oasis in South America. Huacachina, one of Peru's most prominent tourist spots, just behind Machu Picchu, is home to an incredible local legend.
According to the legend of Huacachina, the oasis originated from the tears of a maiden named Huacachina, shed while she mourned the death of her beloved. After crying for days and nights, the lagoon was created. To avoid being seen by a warrior passing through, she threw herself into the lagoon to hide.
The legend says that every night of the full moon, Huacachina leaves the lagoon to continue crying for her beloved. This legend and unique landscape attract visitors from near and far to admire the views atop the massive dunes or enjoy a relaxing day by the water.
Aerial image showing the the Huacachina Oasis. (Getty Images)
WikiPedia/Havardtl
This fertile spot in the middle of a desert might seem out of place, but climatic conditions, surface rivers, rainstorms and other natural factors can all lead to the formation of oases. Legends aside, scientists say an underground current of water formed Hucacahina, generating the growth of plants and trees in the middle of a desert.
"Many countries in Africa and the Middle East are arid and largely depend on oases to produce crops," said Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather's lead international meteorologist. Saudi Arabia is home to the largest oasis in the world, the Al-Hassa Oasis, which covers over 30,000 acres of land. This makes Hucacahina, which only covers two acres of land, look minuscule by comparison.
Even though the size of this oasis might be small, Hucacahina used to be a favorite spot for wealthy tourists traveling through the desert. The oasis is considered a “must-see” for anyone who travels to Peru, according to the Huacahina town website.
The weather in Huacachina is much like one might expect for a desert locale: arid and warm, but not excessively hot, on average. In early February, around the middle of the summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the average high temperature in Huacachina is in the low 80s. Depending on other conditions at that time of year, the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature can easily climb into the 90s there.
From late July right through nearly the end of August, average daily temperatures range from a high of 69 to nighttime lows of 57 degrees. The area receives a paltry 4 inches of rain during an average year.
Visitors to Huacachina have ample ways to take in the unique surroundings. Many people hike up the dunes to catch the sunrise or sunset, while others paddle around the lagoon in a rowboat.
Huacachina, circled here amongst the surrounding desert. (NASA/Landsat8)
To get to and from this small town, people need to catch a bus service from Ica, the closest nearby city. A few different bus options could take you there, but most people use the "Peru Hop" bus.
Xander Bijsterveld, a travel blogger who hails from the northern Netherlands, documented his trip to Huacachina on Youtube and Instagram. When Bijsterveld arrived in Peru, instead of acclimating to the country in the big city, his first stop was Huacachina.
"We liked the fact that it was a smaller spot, with possibilities to do different and amazing activities," Bijsterveld told AccuWeather.
Bijsterveld spent three days at the small desert oasis during November 2021, which is during springtime in South America, and said he enjoyed hiking the sand dunes that overlooked the oasis. His favorite part of the trip was the "insane beauty of the sand dunes at sunset."
Bijsterveld noted that amid the beauty of Huacachina, there is "plastic trash everywhere." According to Huacachina's official website, conservation efforts are ongoing to preserve the natural oasis and its vegetation.
Huacachina is also shrinking. Water levels in the lagoon have decreased in recent years due to nearby drilling and increased evaporation during the summer. In efforts to conserve the natural oasis, the town has been feeding water into the lagoon from external sources, the Peruvian Times reported.
Chad and Claire Chang Tetzlaff on top of one of the sand buggy cars.
Chad and Claire Chang Tetzlaff
Chad and Claire Chang Tetzlaff, two United States residents who visited Hucacahina in 2021, told AccuWeather it was "an extremely unique place" with a lake and lush vegetation amid massive dunes. They shared with AccuWeather a favorite memory of the trip: a dune buggy ride.
Some of the sand dunes surrounding the lake in the center of Hucacahina stand as tall as 6,817 feet above sea level, which offers a perfect landscape for the dune buggy -- and "sandboarding" rides.
Sandboarding is "just like snowboarding, but instead of snow, you will be boarding on the fine-grained sand of the desert," the website states.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Travel
Incredible desert oasis wows residents and visitors alike
The tiny oasis situated among massive sand dunes in a vast desert has mythological origins, some say. But time may be running out for tourists hoping to visit the wondrous sight.
By Allison Finch, AccuWeather staff writer
Published Feb 9, 2022 12:14 PM EDT | Updated Feb 9, 2022 12:14 PM EDT
Legend has it in Huacachina during every full moon, a mermaid leaves the lagoon and cries over her lost love.
Amid a vast desert, hidden among the largest sand dunes in Peru, lies the only natural desert oasis in South America. Huacachina, one of Peru's most prominent tourist spots, just behind Machu Picchu, is home to an incredible local legend.
According to the legend of Huacachina, the oasis originated from the tears of a maiden named Huacachina, shed while she mourned the death of her beloved. After crying for days and nights, the lagoon was created. To avoid being seen by a warrior passing through, she threw herself into the lagoon to hide.
The legend says that every night of the full moon, Huacachina leaves the lagoon to continue crying for her beloved. This legend and unique landscape attract visitors from near and far to admire the views atop the massive dunes or enjoy a relaxing day by the water.
Aerial image showing the the Huacachina Oasis. (Getty Images)
This fertile spot in the middle of a desert might seem out of place, but climatic conditions, surface rivers, rainstorms and other natural factors can all lead to the formation of oases. Legends aside, scientists say an underground current of water formed Hucacahina, generating the growth of plants and trees in the middle of a desert.
"Many countries in Africa and the Middle East are arid and largely depend on oases to produce crops," said Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather's lead international meteorologist. Saudi Arabia is home to the largest oasis in the world, the Al-Hassa Oasis, which covers over 30,000 acres of land. This makes Hucacahina, which only covers two acres of land, look minuscule by comparison.
Even though the size of this oasis might be small, Hucacahina used to be a favorite spot for wealthy tourists traveling through the desert. The oasis is considered a “must-see” for anyone who travels to Peru, according to the Huacahina town website.
The weather in Huacachina is much like one might expect for a desert locale: arid and warm, but not excessively hot, on average. In early February, around the middle of the summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the average high temperature in Huacachina is in the low 80s. Depending on other conditions at that time of year, the AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperature can easily climb into the 90s there.
From late July right through nearly the end of August, average daily temperatures range from a high of 69 to nighttime lows of 57 degrees. The area receives a paltry 4 inches of rain during an average year.
Visitors to Huacachina have ample ways to take in the unique surroundings. Many people hike up the dunes to catch the sunrise or sunset, while others paddle around the lagoon in a rowboat.
Huacachina, circled here amongst the surrounding desert. (NASA/Landsat8)
To get to and from this small town, people need to catch a bus service from Ica, the closest nearby city. A few different bus options could take you there, but most people use the "Peru Hop" bus.
Xander Bijsterveld, a travel blogger who hails from the northern Netherlands, documented his trip to Huacachina on Youtube and Instagram. When Bijsterveld arrived in Peru, instead of acclimating to the country in the big city, his first stop was Huacachina.
"We liked the fact that it was a smaller spot, with possibilities to do different and amazing activities," Bijsterveld told AccuWeather.
Bijsterveld spent three days at the small desert oasis during November 2021, which is during springtime in South America, and said he enjoyed hiking the sand dunes that overlooked the oasis. His favorite part of the trip was the "insane beauty of the sand dunes at sunset."
Bijsterveld noted that amid the beauty of Huacachina, there is "plastic trash everywhere." According to Huacachina's official website, conservation efforts are ongoing to preserve the natural oasis and its vegetation.
Huacachina is also shrinking. Water levels in the lagoon have decreased in recent years due to nearby drilling and increased evaporation during the summer. In efforts to conserve the natural oasis, the town has been feeding water into the lagoon from external sources, the Peruvian Times reported.
Chad and Claire Chang Tetzlaff on top of one of the sand buggy cars.
Chad and Claire Chang Tetzlaff, two United States residents who visited Hucacahina in 2021, told AccuWeather it was "an extremely unique place" with a lake and lush vegetation amid massive dunes. They shared with AccuWeather a favorite memory of the trip: a dune buggy ride.
Some of the sand dunes surrounding the lake in the center of Hucacahina stand as tall as 6,817 feet above sea level, which offers a perfect landscape for the dune buggy -- and "sandboarding" rides.
Sandboarding is "just like snowboarding, but instead of snow, you will be boarding on the fine-grained sand of the desert," the website states.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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