A Real-Life Desert Oasis: Huacachina
I didn’t realise oases actually existed before visiting this surreal town.
I used to think desert oases were merely mirages or fantasies from cartoons I watched as a child — a scene out of Aladdin or Looney Tunes. Picturesque round lagoons ringed by lush vegetation in the middle of sand dunes didn’t seem like a plausible concept to me. This was until I visited Huacachina in southwestern Peru and realised they do actually exist.
THE LEGEND OF THE GIRL WHO CRIES
Local mythology proclaims there once was a native princess who was so beautiful, onlookers were brought to tears. They named her “Huacca China,” or “the girl who cries.” Apparently, she was singing while bathing one day (as you do), when she looked in her hand-held mirror to see a hunter watching in the reflection. Startled, she fled, and the dropped cloth that was covering her became the sand dunes. The mirror fell and smashed, creating the beautiful lagoon. It’s said she lives in the lake as a mermaid, and occasionally her song can be heard under moonlight. There’s a statue of her in mermaid form near the main entrance to the lagoon.
