Lomas de Lachay, National reserve in Huacho, Peru.
Lomas de Lachay is a protected area in Lima Department, Peru, covering 5,070 hectares (12,527 acres) between 50 and 700 meters (164 to 2,297 feet) above sea level. The landscape consists of gentle hills covered with grass tufts, low shrubs, and scattered cacti, while denser vegetation zones form around depressions in the center where moisture collects.
The Peruvian government established the protected zone on June 21, 1977, to preserve the coastal mountain ecosystem and endangered species. Archaeological findings show that people before the Spanish conquest already used the hills and adapted to the fog cycles to cultivate plants.
The seasonal fog transforms these hills into a green oasis between June and November, while they remain gray and barren for the rest of the year. Visitors can observe how plants grow in cycles that follow the rhythm of moisture, and how animals gather around the few water sources.
The entrance point lies 105 kilometers (65 miles) north of Lima along the Panamericana Norte highway and opens daily from 8 AM to 4 PM. Visitors should bring waterproof shoes, as the trails become slippery during fog season, and pack drinking water because there are no vendors inside the zone.
More than 60 bird species use the zone as a resting place during their migrations along the coast. Foxes and other mammals live here year-round and rely on the fog moisture to survive in an environment that would otherwise be too dry.
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