Amidst wind-swept sand dunes in the deserts of southern Peru you'll find Huacachina, a tiny blue-green lagoon ringed by palm trees and a small village. Huacachina is actually one of the few natural oases in the Americas, but conservationists warn it may not last forever.
Built around a small natural lake in the middle of the Ica Desert in southwest Peru, the “Oasis of America” is home to fewer than 100 permanent residents and has the feel of a remote Saharan outpost. But despite the fact that it looks secluded, the village is actually only about five miles from the region’s capital city of Ica (pop. 222,000) and has long been a tourist destination for wealthy Peruvians.