Lomas de Lachay
| Lomas de Lachay National Reserve | |
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IUCN category Ia (strict nature reserve)
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Lomas de Lachay
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| Location |
 PeruLima Region |
| Nearest city | Huacho |
| Coordinates | 11°21′30″S 77°22′10″W / 11.35833°S 77.36944°WCoordinates: 11°21′30″S 77°22′10″W / 11.35833°S 77.36944°W |
| Area | 5,070 ha (19.6 sq mi) |
| Established | June 21, 1977 |
| Visitors | 30,000 visitors/year (in annual estimate) |
| Governing body | Intendancy of Natural Protected Areas, National Institute of Natural Resources (INRENA) |
The Lomas de Lachay (Lachay Hills) is a national reserve in the desert foothills of Huaura Province in Lima region of Peru. The reserve is located 105 kilometres (65 mi) north from the capital Lima and features a unique mist-fed ecosystem of wild plant and animal species. It expands across an area of 5,070 hectares (12,500 acres). Similar small isolated areas, called Lomas, are found scattered up and down the Peruvian and Chilean coast of the Pacific Ocean. The Lomas de Lachhay is one of the best preserved and protected.
The Lomas de Lachay exist as a result of a combination of coastal climate factors, and subject to a peculiar geography which produces, in an almost rainless desert, heavy clouds, fog and mist called garúa. Garúa rolls in from the nearby Pacific Ocean and the moisture condenses when it reaches spurs of the Andes. The garúa fogs and mist are most common in the humid season, from approximately June to November. The moisture, especially in the humid season, gives life to abundant vegetation and attracts the fauna of the region. Much of the vegetation browns during the dry season.
The National Reserve of Lachay was established in 1977 by means of Supreme Law #310-77-AG to restore and conserve the wild flora and fauna, perform research in order to use the hills rationally and encourage recreation that is ecologically sound.
Some 150 plant species have been registered inside the park, among them 25 are on their way to extinction. Among the most notable, are the Peruvian papaya, tara, Capparis prisca, Caesalpinia tinctoria and the nettle Loasa urens, which cover the reserve with yellow attractive flowers. There are also numerous grasses, airplants and succulents, like cactus.
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Wikipedia