This is not a mirage

Imagine traveling through miles and miles of the scorching Peruvian desert, with enormous sand dunes in every direction. You wonder how anything could survive in this god-forsaken wasteland. You’re your throat is parched but you’re out of water. Just when you’re about to give up all hope, before you lies a sight so extraordinary, it must be a mirage – a tiny settlement, complete with lagoon, lush palm groves, carob trees, cafes, neatly clipped lawns, and even the odd swimming pool.

Welcome to Huacachina, Peru – the ‘oasis of the Americas’. Over the centuries, it’s glimmering waters have saved the lives of hundreds of sun-addled travels lost in the desert.

These days visitors have been flying in from all over the world to relax in the shade of the palm trees, sandboard down the dunes and, most importantly, to enjoy the waters, which reportedly contain medicinal properties that have been said to cure skin ailments and rheumatic illnesses.

Sandboarding in Huacachina