Huaraz & the Cordillera Blanca · lodge
A mountain lodge near Huaraz
A mountain lodge outside Huaraz with a wood fire, packed lunches for the trail and the Cordillera Blanca from every window.
The North
Huaraz & the Cordillera Blanca
The highest tropical mountain range on Earth, and turquoise lakes below it
- Altitude
- ~3,050 m (10,007 ft)verify
- Altitude band
- High
- Time needed
- 4–5 nights
- Zone
- The North
Huaraz is a mountain town with a serious view: the white wall of the Cordillera Blanca, home to Huascarán, Peru's highest peak. Day hikes to glacier lakes like Laguna 69 climb well above 4,500 metres, so the first days here are for short walks, slow mornings and plenty of water.
Most people notice it at first. Take the first day easy and drink plenty of water. Altitude, explained
Highlights
- Laguna 69
- Llanganuco lakes
- Chavín de Huántar
- Pastoruri glacier
What to eat here
Pachamanca
Meat, potatoes, beans and herbs cooked under hot stones in an earth oven. A feast for a group.
Native potatoes
Peru grows thousands of potato varieties: purple, yellow, knobbly, striped. Ask for papas nativas and see how many you can tell apart.
Lake trout
Trout from Titicaca and the mountain lakes, fried whole or cooked as a ceviche.
Mate de coca
Coca-leaf tea, offered on arrival at many Andean hotels. A traditional mild remedy for the altitude, though not a substitute for acclimatising.
Accommodation
Where to stay in Huaraz & the Cordillera Blanca
Journeys
Journeys that go here
12 daysThe Wild North
Glacier lakes above Huaraz, adobe cities near Trujillo and the cloud-forest fortress of Kuélap.
From US$4,900 pp
The North
Nearby too
Chachapoyas & Kuélap
~2,335 mA cloud-forest fortress, cliff tombs and one of the world's tallest waterfalls
Trujillo & Chan Chan
~35 mThe largest adobe city in the Americas, and the coast where surfing began
Máncora
~5 mWarm water, long waves and a hammock after the Andes
Add Huaraz & the Cordillera Blanca to your trip
Tell us when you'd like to go and what you'd love to see. Your Peru Specialist will come back with ideas, honest advice on altitude and timing, and a clear price.