Two amazing turquoise water mirrors that surrender to the feet of the Huascaran peak. Chinancocha and Orconcocha lakes make up the Llanganuco lakes that are located in the Huascaran National Park in the department of Ancash, 84 kilometers northwest of Huaraz and 25 kilometers away from the small town of Yungay.
The waters of these lakes are of glacial origin, mainly from the melting peaks of Chopicalqui, Huascaran, and Huandoy, whose waters, nourished with minerals from the mountains, give them their unique turquoise color.
The lakes are located at 3800 meters above sea level and its easy access to this natural beauty make them one of the main attractions for national and foreign tourists, who enjoy a day surrounded by nature and abundant flora of the Huascaran National Park.
Chinancocha (called female lake in the andean cosmovision)
The Chinancocha lake is the most visited by tourists because it is located at the foot of the Huascaran peak (the highest in Peru). This lake has a length of 1,450 meters, a width of 393 meters, and a depth of 28 meters, the lake is surrounded by quenual trees and a varied andean biodiversity.
Orconcocha Lagoon (called the male lake in the andean cosmovision)
The waters of this lake are darker due to its shallow depth. Its light blue waters are 910 meters long, 368 meters wide and approximately 7 meters deep.
You can go trekking through the Orconcohca lake, but it is little explored by tourists.
The Llanganuco lakes are one of the most famous natural paradises in the peruvian highlands. It’s an excellent destination for adventure tourists who wish to take a short hike, boat ride and enjoy the contact with nature.
Huaraz (Google Map)
9:00 am (Pick up at your hotel)
Participants should have experience in altitude, which ensures adequate acclimatization and conditioning of the body to the altitude. It’s suggested to be above 3,000 m.a.s.l., so we recommend staying in Huaraz one day before the tour to Llanganuco.
This adventure will start in Huaraz, we will pick you up at your hotel with transportation. After pick up we will go to the northern part of the Huaraz. On the way we can appreciate the landscapes and the towns of the Huaylas valley and Santa river.
During the tour we will have a panoramic view of the mountains of the Cordillera Blanca: Huandoy Huascaran, Chopicalqui, Hualcan, Copa, Urus, Ranrapalca, Ocshapalca and Vallunaraju.
We will arrive to Carhuaz village, this town is characterized by its traditional andean customs and typical costumes; we will visit the main square, San Pedro’s church and if you wish, you can taste the rich handmade ice cream made from natural fruits native of the Huaylas valley.
The route continues and we will visit the old town of Yungay, today called Campo Santo, this place experienced one of the most catastrophic earthquakes in Peru, which caused an avalanche caused by the detachment of a giant ice block from the Huascaran North peak, burying the old town of Yungay and a part of Huaylas valley in 1970. Finally we will move east towards Llanganuco canyon, after 1 hour of trip we will make another stop to check in at the control of the Huascaran National Park and after 20 minutes we will arrive at our destination: the beautiful Chinancocha and Orconcocha lakes. We will hike around the lagoon, also for a small fee you can board the boats that navigate the cold waters of the lakes.
Transfer by car: 3 hours
Elevation: +750 m (3100 masl a 3850 masl)
