Cordillera Blanca and Huaraz
Twenty peaks above 6,000 m lined up over a green valley, turquoise lagoons at the foot of glaciers: the world's highest tropical range is a walker's paradise — and a driver's vertigo.
Suggested stay — 3 to 4 nights
400 km north of Lima, Huaraz (3,050 m) is base camp for another Peru, without Inca stone or crowds: that of Huascarán National Park, where the Cordillera Blanca lines up Huascarán (6,768 m, the country's roof), Alpamayo and a constellation of glacial lagoons. The star is called Laguna 69: a 3-4 hour climb to a turquoise cirque beneath the seracs, at 4,600 m — the country's most beautiful half-day walk, and one of its most demanding.
By car, the region can also be savoured without crampons: the Llanganuco track snakes between two emerald lakes under the face of Huascarán, Lake Parón (reachable by vehicle) delivers the postcard view of the Artesonraju pyramid, and the Kahuish pass road plunges towards Chavín de Huántar, a 3,000-year-old sanctuary whose underground galleries are haunted by the Lanzón deity. Allow generous margins: here, 100 km means three hours.
Don't miss
- Laguna 69: the legendary day trek, only to be attempted acclimatised
- Lake Parón and its view of the Artesonraju — reachable by car, a steep but drivable track
- The Llanganuco lakes beneath the north face of Huascarán
- Chavín de Huántar: 3,000 years of history and underground galleries, via the Kahuish pass road
Our tips on the ground
- Acclimatisation is non-negotiable: two nights in Huaraz and an easy walk (Laguna Wilcacocha, 3,700 m) before Laguna 69 — every year, hurried visitors end the hike as medical emergencies.
- The park tracks (Parón, Llanganuco) are fine in a normal car in dry weather but shake you about: leave early, tank filled in Huaraz or Yungay, and come back down before the afternoon mists.
- The premium Lima-Huaraz night bus (8 h) often beats driving from the capital: rent locally instead, or negotiate collecting the vehicle in Huaraz if the agency allows it.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Peru on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Cordillera Blanca and Huaraz
Is Laguna 69 doable without trekking experience?
Yes, provided you're acclimatised and reasonably fit: the trail is obvious, but the 750 m of climb between 3,900 and 4,600 m exact a cash price without two or three days of prior adaptation. Start on the first departure, walk slowly, turn back if headaches set in — half the show is already on the trail.
Cordillera Blanca or Sacred Valley if I must choose?
Two different trips: the Sacred Valley for Inca civilisation, Machu Picchu and easy logistics; the Cordillera Blanca for pure high mountains, glacial lagoons and far fewer people. On a first two-week visit, the south wins; walkers and returning visitors often give Huaraz the edge.