Huacachina Oasis is the only natural oasis in South America!

Located 5 hours South from Lima and one hour South from Paracas, this little place is definitely worth a visit. There are a lot of accommodations in the Oasis itself, or, you can find a place to stay in Ica, the biggest town around and only 15 minutes away. I would recommend The Upcycle Hostel, located 15 min walk from the dune. 

According to legend, a hunter caught an Incan princess walking in the dunes near what is now Huacachina. As she walked and admired herself in a mirror she was carrying, she saw the hunter watching her in the reflection. Shocked, the princess began to flee and dropped her mirror. The mirror broke in thousand pieces and became a tiny pool in the desert, consuming the princess and turning her into a mermaid.

Huacachina is the perfect place for sandboarding or driving through the desert in a dune buggy.