Lake Choclococha, lake in Peru

Lake Choclococha is a reservoir in the Huancavelica region of the Peruvian Andes, sitting above 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) in elevation. It is rimmed by rocky ground and grassland, with several small islands scattered across its surface.

For the Chanca people, Choclococha was their pacarina, the place of origin, according to historian María Rostworowski. One account, cited from Murúa, holds that the lake was formerly called Acha until Huanca fugitives threw their maize loads into it; the next summer's heat dried the water and the seeds sprouted as tender corncobs, giving the name Choclococha, from Quechua chuqllu (corncob) and qucha (lake). The Choclococha dam was completed in 1960, 280 m long and 12 m tall.

The name Choclococha probably comes from Quechua chuqllu (corncob) and qucha (lake), after a story recorded by Murúa: defeated Huancas threw their maize into the water, then called Acha, and the next summer's heat dried it and the seeds sprouted. Arriaga noted that during the Corpus procession two llamas were sacrificed to Choclococha and Urcococha, held to be the origin of llamas.

Getting there from the city of Huancavelica takes roughly two hours by truck along mountain roads. The altitude brings cold temperatures, especially after dark, so warm layers and time to adjust to the thin air are both worth planning for.

The name may derive from Quechua chuqllu (corncob) and qucha (lake), from a story that maize carried by fleeing Huanca warriors fell into the water and sprouted the following summer. The Choclococha dam, finished in 1960, is 280 m long and 12 m tall, with a capacity of 17,000,000 m³.