Huacachina is a village built around a small oasis and surrounded by sand dunes in southwestern Peru. It is about five kilometers from the city of Ica in the Ica District of Ica Province. The oasis was introduced as a feature on the back of the 50 nuevo sol note in 1991. Huacachina has a permanent population of around 100 people, although it hosts many tens of thousands of tourists each year.
Huacachina is built around a small natural desert lake, commonly referred to as the "oasis of America". According to local legends, 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.
Legend holds that the lagoon was created by a beautiful native princess, she removed her clothes to bathe, but after looking in a mirror she saw a male hunter approaching her from behind, startled at the intrusion, she fled the area, leaving behind her mirror, which turned into a lake. Other versions hold that she fled, leaving the pool of water she had been bathing in to become the lagoon. The folds of her mantle, streaming behind her as she ran, became the surrounding sand dunes. The woman herself is rumoured to still live in the oasis as a mermaid.
Huacachina is a resort geared to local families from the nearby city of Ica, but is increasingly an attraction for tourists drawn by the sports of sandboarding on the sand dunes that reach heights of up to 500 metres (1,600 ft). Another popular activity is dune buggy rides on vehicles known locally as areneros. Huacachina has been a favourite family destination for decades, and in the 60s was a popular summer resort for tourists around the world.
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