Huacachina Lagoon, an oasis in the desert in Peru
In all itineraries through Peru Ica appears, not so much the city, as the desert and oasis of Huacachina that are located a few kilometers away. It is a place, no doubt, curious, unique, spectacular.
Everything about the desert and oasis of Huacachina
We arrive at the oasis of Huacachina. On the one hand, the first thing you see is endless agencies that offer excursions in all types of tubular and rent surfboards. Restaurants that serve meals, hotels of different levels, there is even a swimming pool where you can relax in the middle of the desert.
When you enter the desert, apart from its beauty of many kilometers, you see corners that are very sad. For example, the dead oasis where they had built a luxury house and even a road in the middle of nowhere! for one of the important characters of Peru.
As soon as the oasis dried up, the house was abandoned. And what you see now are ruins and palm trees without life. The desert is trying to cover it with its white sands, but it will take some time to get it.
¿What does Huacachina mean?
Huacachina in Quechua means «woman who cries». An ancient legend tells that the lagoon is born from the tears of a beautiful woman with green eyes who cried for the death of her beloved, a courageous general in times of the Incanato.
¿What to do in the desert and oasis of Huacachina?
Walking around the oasis of Huacachina is a special experience. Above all, if you think that many kilometers around you will find nothing but sand and more sand. How did a lake appear here? I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe in scientific explanations, like groundwater. I like more the legend of the Peruvian princess of infinite beauty.
“Legend has it that there was a very pretty girl, with long black hair and emerald eyes, who walked non-stop through the sands of the Huacachina desert looking in the mirror. Once he saw a reflection of a boy behind her. He was so scared that he released the mirror and shattered. These pieces of glass became the emerald lake that still reflected the princess’s eyes. ”
Tubular ride, sandsurf and sunset from a dune
Tubular tour:
If you expect a quiet walk to contemplate the beauty of the desert, come back to reality. It is a crazy experience during which you begin to value your life seriously and ask yourself if it is worth risking.
TipViajero: How do you know if you are going to like the experience in tubular? If you like amusement parks, you will most likely love it.
Sandsurf
After a crazy circuit, we stop to practice sandsurf. You have to lie on the board and lower the highest dune found by the tubular conductor. Here they don’t let you down, for safety.
Sunset in the middle of the desert
Last point, the romantic contemplation of the sunset from one of the highest dunes … in the company of hundreds of tourists who hired the same tour in one of the many agencies of the Huacachina oasis. Anyway, it would be selfish for me to want to enjoy a sunset as beautiful as this one in exclusivity, without sharing it with anyone.
The desert at your leisure
A much quieter experience is to walk through the dunes around the Huacachina oasis. It is a bit more physically demanding, but you are free to go where you want and take whatever you want.
¿What to take to the desert and oasis of Huacachina?
The desert and oasis of Huacachina is sand, sun and little refreshing water.
So, water, sunscreen and hat, glasses, long sleeves are essential, from my point of view.
For sunset, I would recommend a windbreaker, because, when the sun goes down, temperatures drop drastically.
Be very careful with the camera and phone. It is best to clean them after visiting the desert.
That desert of the southwest of Peru takes away our words, imposes itself on our emotions and we feel that we do not need anything else.