No, this is not a mirage! Amazing desert oasis city in Peru

Finding yourself in this magnificent oasis, located in the middle of the barren sand dunes of Atacama in Peru (Latin America), you involuntarily cease to believe your eyes and begin to listen to creeping suspicions - is not all this a mirage.

In fact, in the reality of this wonderful city with an abundance of green vegetation, lush palm trees and a beautiful lake, which received the glory of healing, there is no doubt. It is called Uakachina, and only 96 people live in it. However, despite such a small population, there are not only shops and hotels, but even a library.

The marvelous place, whose horizon is littered with lifeless sand from all sides, also has another name - "Oasis of America". As a rule, residents of the city of Ica, located next door, lovers of sandboarding and buggy racing come here to relax.

Like all amazing places, this settlement has its own wonderful legend. It says that the lake was once an ordinary pool. But once a beautiful princess came here to bathe. A young hunter passing by caught a naked girl by surprise. She escaped, after which the pool turned into a lake, and the folds of her abandoned mantle into sand dunes. According to legend, the princess soon returned to the oasis and still lives in it a mermaid.

Unfortunately, recently private landowners began to dig wells around the oasis, which caused the water level in the lake to drop markedly. In order not to allow him to grind even more, people began to pump water into the reservoir artificially.