The Humantay lake is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in the Peruvian Andes. This is located in the town of Soraypampa, province of Anta, near the province of Cusco, the historical capital of Peru. Getting to this beautiful paradise will not take you more than 1 day. The walk is a bit difficult but the effort of having reached this beautiful natural landscape will be rewarding.
| Humantay Lake | |
| Location | Province of Anta 120 km from Cusco passing through the towns of Limatambo and Mollepata |
| Distance from Cusco | 3.5 hrs aprox. |
| Ticket cost | 10 PEN aprox. |
| Weather | Cold |
| Activities | Hike to the lagoon, camping in the area, bird watching. |
In the past, it was only visited by those adventurers who trekked to the snowy Salkantay, but today, it is one of the most visited places by tourists from different parts of the world.
Since the time of the Incas, this lagoon with turquoise waters was cared for by the Andean inhabitants. Today, the Humantay Lagoon is the third most popular tourist attraction in Cusco, after Machu Picchu and Vinicunca, places that you should definitely visit.
Where is the Humantay lake?
The lagoon is located near the Salkantay mountain in the Cordillera de los Andes del Cusco, in the province of Anta. The lagoon is 4,200 meters above sea level.
How to get to the Humantay Lake?
To get to the lagoon it is necessary to make a road trip from the city of Cusco, approximately 120 kilometers, reaching the towns of Limatambo and Mollepata, until arriving at the community of Soraypampa.
Once located in Soraypampa, the uphill walk of approximately 2 kilometers begins until we reach our goal, which is the Humantay Lake
We recommend our Humantay Lagoon tour and we will take care of all the details of your adventure.
Road to the Humantay Lake
The road can be a bit difficult for some people who have not yet acclimatized to the height of the city of Cusco, but despite this, it is not impossible to reach this magical place.
You will hike for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from the town of Soraypampa, located in the district of Mollepata, in the province of Anta. There is also the option of renting horses in case you do not want to walk, the horses will accompany you during the journey.
Once we arrive at the Humantay Lagoon, we will be able to appreciate the beautiful landscape and the impressive view of the Humantay and Salkantay snow-capped mountains.
Climate in the Humantay Lake
The climate is cold, because it descends from the snowy Salkantay. It varies from 10ºC. (50ºF). at 0ºC. (32ºF). On some occasions, the temperature can be even lower.
What to take to the Humantay Lake?
As the weather is cold, we recommend you bring a warm jacket, gloves, a waterproof rain hat, and warm socks. In addition to wearing trekking shoes for greater comfort.
Your cell phone or camera will be essential to immortalize the majesty of the lagoon in incredible photos.
Can you camp in the Humantay Lake?
In the Humantay Lagoon it is impossible to camp, but it is allowed to do so in the Soraypampa area, which is 2 kilometers from the Lake. We must remember that the cold in the area is intense, so you must be warm if you want to camp in that place.
Bird watching in the Humantay Lake?
In this area of the famous turquoise lake, it is possible to find a wide fauna among domestic animals such as horses, cows or sheep. Likewise, we can find a variety of wild animals such as vizcachas, white-tailed deer or tarukas, Andean fox, huallatas, and Andean condor.
When finding a great variety of birds in the lake, an additional activity to our walk is bird watching. For this, we can take our binoculars, a professional camera and enjoy the birds that are in the area. It is very likely that due to the number of visitors they will disperse and it will be difficult to see them, but the attempt will be worth it.
In what season is it advisable to go to the Humantay Lake?
The best time of the year to visit the beautiful Humantay Lagoon is during the dry or dry season, between the months of April to October, in these months it is less likely that there will be rain.
During those months, the snow-capped mountains are more imposing and majestic since they are whiter due to frost.
How was the Humantay Lake formed?
The Humantay lagoon is formed thanks to the melting of the Nevado Salkantay, which in turn, is part of a mountain range called the Cordillera de Vilcabamba.
What draws the attention of visitors to this impressive lagoon is its natural color. As it does not have much marine flora in its waters, the lagoon has a crystalline turquoise color adorned by the white snows of the snowy Salkantay, which give it a unique beauty.
When travelers seek to capture the ideal moment with their cameras, they capture an indescribable, unique and wonderful landscape.
Why is the Humantay lake blue?
This beautiful formation of nature dazzles us with its turquoise blue colors, but what is this coloration due to? Here we tell you. We know that the light that reaches us from the Sun are electromagnetic waves, which have frequencies of almost all the colors of the rainbow, which means that when light falls on an object, it generally absorbs only a certain group of colors. The rest, the colors that it does not absorb, transmit, reflect, scatter or bounce.
The color of the water is due to the selective absorption of light, since when it crosses the abua, it absorbs the radiations of red light, which means that when we cross it we see it as blue (which is the complementary color to red).
On the other hand, the color that we can see of this lagoon is also nuanced by the flora that is found inside the lake and in the surroundings that allows these turquoise tones to be appreciated. The blue and brightly colored lagoons, as well as Humantay, are all due to this explanation about frequencies and the flora that surrounds them.
Just like this lagoon, in Cusco we can find turquoise lagoons such as the Urcos lagoon, the circuit of the 7 lagoons of Ausangate, Piuray, Huaypo among other lagoons. As you can see, you could already know everything you need to know to get to the impressive Humantay Lagoon in the snowy Salkantay. The trip can be somewhat complex, but the satisfaction will be unique.
That is why we recommend you choose a 1-day Tour to the Humantay Lagoon that our travel agency can organize for you.
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