Day 01
Lake Parón and the Callejón de Huaylas
- Have breakfast at the hotel around 6 am and depart by private minivan around 7 am toward the northern side, along the Callejón de Huaylas Valley. The tour starts in Huaraz at 3100 masl. Pass through the typical small villages of Paltay and Taricá, cross the Río Santa to the left side, and continue through several traditional villages such as Jangas, Yungar, and Anta. From here, you can appreciate the beautiful snow-capped mountains of Huandoy, Huascarán, Hualcán, Copa, and others. There may be a stop at a viewpoint for photos.
- Continue through the district of Marcará and on to Carhuaz. Some travellers may walk around the Plaza de Armas. Carhuaz is located at 2650 masl. Then continue to the historic province of Yungay, the ancient buried city at 2500 masl. A piece of Huascarán's north peak broke off and caused a huge avalanche of mud and ice blocks that destroyed Yungay in just 6 seconds. A guided visit here takes around 45 minutes. About 1 km to the north is the new Yungay. Then continue to Caraz, a small city.
- Begin the unpaved ascent along the Parón River, lined with eucalyptus trees and typical peasant houses. After a few minutes, continue driving up through a wonderful valley full of polylepis trees, locally called quenuales, until arriving at Lake Parón. Enjoy time walking around the lake and take a short hike to the top of the lake.
- Spend time taking pictures and, at the appropriate time, return to Caraz by the same route for lunch in a typical restaurant around 3 pm. After lunch, drive directly back to Huaraz, arriving around 6 pm.
