Laguna Morón

Laguna Morón sits in a hollow among dunes in the Pisco valley desert near Humay, a small freshwater lagoon fed by the water table with palms and reeds around it - the same phenomenon as Huacachina near Ica, which is the famous one and is now ringed by hotels, bars and buggy operators. Morón has none of that: a few palms, a shelter or two, some sandboarding on the dunes above, and quiet. Access is by four-wheel drive or dune buggy across sand from Humay, since there is no road to it. The water level here fluctuates and has fallen at times, as it has at Huacachina, where groundwater extraction for agriculture and the town reduced the lagoon enough that it has been artificially topped up. The dunes around Morón are high and the sandboarding is the other reason people go. There is no infrastructure - bring water, and go with someone who knows the way.

What you actually see

• The lagoon - fed by the water table, ringed by palms in a dune hollow.
• The dunes - high sand around the hollow, used for boarding.
• The absence of development - unlike Huacachina, which it resembles.
• The access - four-wheel drive or buggy across sand, no road in.

When to go

Any time of year; early morning or late afternoon for the heat and the light. Half a day including the drive. Arrange transport in Humay or Pisco.

Honest expectations

No road access - four-wheel drive or buggy only, and going without a driver who knows the dunes is a poor idea. No facilities, no water, no shade. Water levels fluctuate and the lagoon has been low at times.

Nearby

Huacachina is south near Ica; Paracas and the reserve are west.