Laguna del Inca, Mountain lake in Valparaíso Region, Chile.

Laguna del Inca is a mountain lake situated high in the Andes, stretching across the landscape with steep rocky shores surrounding its waters. The site sits at a notable elevation where alpine conditions shape the environment and views extend far across mountain peaks.

In 1899 Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos described the lake in his Diccionario Geográfico de la República de Chile, placing it near the Uspallata pass at 2,961 m. He noted that the road through that pass was thought to have been built with Inca involvement, which he gave as the origin of the name. The lake drains south through an outlet into the Juncal River.

The name comes from the Inca road that crossed the Uspallata pass, according to Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos (1899). A legend tells that the Inca Illi Yupanqui wept here for the princess Kora-lle, who died in an accident while fulfilling a tradition for their marriage; her body was left in the water, which turned emerald like her eyes, and on some winter nights his laments are still heard.

The lake is reached via a mountain road with steep curves and demanding terrain that requires careful driving. Plan for exposed weather conditions, cold temperatures, and limited amenities in the surrounding area.

The lake's outflow runs south into a stream that joins the Juncalillo River, a tributary of the Juncal; the Spanish source instead has it reaching the Juncal's north bank. In summer, small brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) can be fished from the shore.