Laguna Purhuay, Ancash Region, Peru
4.5 (10 reviews) Spent Ranking #1 in Huari Bodies of Water
Beautiful peaceful lake
Lake Purhuay is located 7km northwest of the town of Huari in the Conchucos Valley, at 3580m. It is one of the largest lakes in the region being 3km long, with a depth of approximately 130m. Its waters have a blue/green colour and are surrounded by much vegetation, including quenual trees, ichu grass and many medicinal plants. There is also abundant birdlife, including many species of hummingbirds. There is a picnic and camping area and locals sometimes offer boating services. There is a lovely trail going around the lake, from where you can appreciate fully the flora, fauna and majesty of the lake. There are even some pre Inca ruins along the trail, which are called Llamacorral and are very well preserved. Unless you come at the weekend or during the holidays, when locals like to visit, you are unlikely to see anyone else. Despite being located inside the Huascaran national park, there is no fee for visiting the lake.
Address
7km al Noroeste de Huari, Huari, Peru.
Current local date and time now
Monday, May 13, 2024, 7:03
User Ratings
4.5 based on (10 reviews)
Reviews
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4Steve N 5:00 PM Jun 7, 2019
pleasant dayhike
Purhuay is not as exciting and dramatic as some of the higher elevation hikes in the Cordillera Blanca, but it made for a very enjoyable dayhike when I recently stayed in Huari. It's a pretty easy day hike from Huari, but it also makes a pretty good warm-up for bigger treks
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4Pierre W 5:00 PM Oct 12, 2018
Pleasant lake, good place to camp or for lunch
Not as exciting as higher altitude lakes just below the peaks, but pleasant. Quiet at night for camping. A restaurant offers a good, cheap trout meal. Llamacorral is a small archeological site just 10 minutes an foot. It is popular with Peruvian tourists by car. It takes more than 2 hours to hike from Huari and it climbs 450 meters. You can also visit the Maria Jiray waterfall the same day, another 300 meters climb.
