Llanganuco Lakes, Mountain lake in Yungay District, Peru

Llanganuco Lakes consist of two main bodies of water, Chinancocha and Orconcocha, located in the Cordillera Blanca mountain range at about 3850 meters elevation within Huascaran National Park. The area is surrounded by snow-capped peaks and features walking trails that run along the shorelines of both lakes.

The lakes were shaped by ancient glaciation that carved the valleys visible today in this high mountain environment. A major earthquake in 1970 triggered an avalanche that created a third, smaller lake nestled between the two original ones.

The lakes carry Quechua names, with Orconcocha meaning male lake and Chinancocha meaning female lake, reflecting how indigenous communities have understood and named the natural world. These paired names show a cultural way of seeing the landscape that has remained part of local identity.

Plan to spend at least one night in Huaraz to adjust to the altitude before making the roughly 84-kilometer trip northwest to reach the lakes. The best time to visit is during the dry season, when the trails are accessible and views of the peaks remain clear.

The 1970 earthquake sent an avalanche down that dammed the valley and formed a third, smaller lake between Chinancocha and Orconcocha. A group of hikers camping between the two main lakes was killed. The rock walls flanking the lakes rise more than 400 metres above the water and are used for BASE jumping and big-wall climbing.