Laguna Parón
The largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca, opaque blue, under the Artesonraju pyramid.
Duration
7 hrs – 9 hrs
Difficulty
●●●●●
Best time
Dry season, May to September
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Laguna Parón is the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca, at four thousand two hundred metres, ringed by peaks over six thousand. The perfect pyramid of Artesonraju above it is said to have inspired a film studio's logo — the story is unverifiable, but the resemblance is striking.
Its opaque blue comes from glacial sediment. The lake is the subject of a long dispute: a hydroelectric company draws its water, and the community of Cruz de Mayo took physical control in 2008 — it is they who collect the entry fee today.
Getting there
Three hours by road north of Huaraz, via Caraz, on a mountain track. Organised trip or private vehicle.
What the price covers
a community entry fee, rate to be confirmed
Rules on site
The entry fee is paid in cash to the community, in soles. The access track is narrow and full of switchbacks over the last few kilometres, and the altitude is felt as soon as you step out of the vehicle.
