Lomas de Lachay National Reserve

The Peruvian coast is desert, but between roughly June and October a dense sea fog called garúa hangs against the low hills, and the plants growing there live on the water it deposits. Lachay is the reserve that protects one of these fog oases north of Lima. In season the hills carry grass, flowering plants and small trees hung with moss and lichen, all of it fed by condensation rather than rain, and the contrast with the surrounding grey desert is complete. Marked trails cross the ridges, and the reserve holds foxes, burrowing owls, hummingbirds and a long list of migrants. Outside the fog season the same slopes are bare brown dust.

Background

The reserve lies 105 km north of Lima and protects part of the lomas, coastal desert hills that get enough moisture in winter for plants to thrive; the wet season runs from June to October and the dry one from January to May, though some El Niño years bring summer rain. Its plants include tara, Ismene amancaes, Heliotropium arborescens and the cactus Armatocereus matucanensis, its birds the vermilion flycatcher, Andean tinamou, black-chested buzzard-eagle, cactus canastero and burrowing owl, and its mammals the Sechuran fox and white-tailed deer. Terraces, cave paintings, tombs and pottery show at least seven phases of settlement, from hunter-gatherers to the goat herders of today, with traces of the Chavín culture. Birdwatching and hiking are the main activities, and the campsites have picnic tables, outhouses and parking.

Source: Wikipedia, "Lachay National Reserve"

What's there

• The fog vegetation - grass, flowers and lichen-covered trees living entirely on condensed mist.
• Marked hill trails - short circuits over the ridges, walkable in a couple of hours.
• Andean foxes and owls - resident wildlife, most visible early and late in the day.
• The desert edge - the abrupt line where the green stops and bare dust begins again.

When to go

The reserve is worth visiting only in the fog season, roughly August to October, when the hills are green; outside it they are bare and there is very little to see. Weekdays are quiet. Fog means grey light and limited visibility for much of the morning, which is the point rather than a problem, and it usually thins by early afternoon.

What to expect

Timing is everything: arrive in January and you will find brown hills and wonder what the reserve is for. Even in season the fog can be thick enough that views disappear entirely. It is cold and damp rather than sunny, the trails are exposed and there is no shelter. Facilities amount to a small interpretation centre and toilets.

Nearby

Huacho and the Chancay valley are close by, and Lima is two hours south.

Key facts