Laguna Parón

Silent awe enters people's expressions when they talk of Laguna Parón. Nestled at 4185m above sea level, along a bumpy road 25km east of Caraz, and surrounded by spectacular snow-covered peaks, this lake is heralded by many as the most beautiful in the Cordillera Blanca. It is certainly the largest, despite its water levels being lowered from 75m to 15m in the mid-1980s to prevent a collapse of Huandoy’s moraine.

Ringed by formidable peaks, Parón offers close-up views of Pirámide de Garcilaso (5885m), Huandoy (6395m), Chacraraju (6112m) and several 1000m granite rock walls. The challenging rock-climbing wall of Torre de Parón, known as the Sphinx, is also found here.

A trail rambles along the lake's north shore on flat terrain for about two hours and then up the valley to another smaller lake and the foot of Artesonraju. There is also a steep climb to a mirador that could prove difficult if you haven't acclimatized to the thin air. If you go on your own, note that it's not possible to circumnavigate the lake – the northern side is fine, but on the southern side there is a very dangerous section where the path disappears and slippery vegetation grows flush against the mountain surface. The potential for falls is huge and foreigners have died attempting to cross here.

Most people see the lake as part of an organized tour out of Huaraz or Caraz (from S50). Going solo, you can organize a taxi in Caraz for around S150 round-trip with wait. The journey from Caraz takes 1½ hours on an unpaved road.

Despite being inside the national park, Parón falls under a separate justification and is run by a local community group who charge S5 admission.