No, it's not a mirage. Huacachina is a tiny village situated in the middle of a Peruvian desert.

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Rolling dunes and lush greenery surround the rare, natural desert lake. It has been called "the oasis of America," as it is one of the only true oases in the Americas, according to Atlas Obscura.

Huacachina is located about 186 miles from Lima, but only about 5 miles from Ica, the nearest city. In the 1940s and 1950s, the oasis became a popular destination for wealthy Peruvians for its purported healing properties. Today, adventruous travelers and backpackers trek to Huacachina for sandboarding and dune buggy riding. The village is mostly picturesque hotels, restaurants and bars, peppered by palm trees and flowering plants.

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But the oasis, which has a permenant population of about 100 people, has suffered the effects of being a tourist hotspot. The lagoon's water level has dwindled due to groundwater consumption, and the city has resorted to pumping water into it to keep the village running as the popular destination it has become over the decades, Desert Sun reported in a major 2015 report on Peru's water crisis.

Huacachina is so impressive that the Peruvian government declared it a national cultural heritage site. The oasis is even printed on Peru's 50 sol note. But if you're planning to see the spectacular lagoon, it might be best to act fast, in case it dries up. 

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