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All about the Humantay Lagoon in Cusco

Home » Cusco » Tourist Attractions in Cusco that you should know about » All about the Humantay Lagoon in Cusco
Home » Cusco » Tourist Attractions in Cusco that you should know about » All about the Humantay Lagoon in Cusco

Peru has many magical places that amaze with its beauty and in one of its millenary regions is one of the most beautiful and natural places, I refer to the Humantay Lagoon located in Cusco, at an altitude of 4200 meters.

It is characterized because its water has a turquoise color and is surrounded by imposing snowy as the Salkantay and the same Humantay that to get there the road offers other views and wonderful scenery, in this article we will focus on this tourist destination and talk about what to see in the lagoon, some recommendations and travel time that is done to get there, then follow us on this new adventure.

But first, I will tell you a legend about the origin of this lagoon, according to the locals tell us that this arises from the legend of the brothers Ausangate and Salkantay where both decide to go to distant lands to put an end to the drought.

Ausangate goes south where he finds food and sends it to Cusco and for his part Salkantay goes north and finds provisions, but also falls in love with the goddess Veronica (Apu Veronica) but they did not have a happy ending as Salkantay had to return to Cusco so that its inhabitants do not run out of water.

The sadness that Salkantay feels is so great that he cries a lot and as a result the Humantay lake is born and the color it has is believed to be a reflection of his true feelings. The two brothers become snowy and provide water to the present day to the imperial city of Cusco.

How to get to the Humantay Lagoon?

To get to Humantay we have two options, travel with an agency or go on your own, we will see the difference between the two and which one suits you.

  • On your own: From the city of Cusco you must come to Arcopata where buses leave to Mollepata, the average fare is 15 soles, once in Mollepata you must take a collective cab to take you to Soraypampa, there may not be cabs then you must make a group or hire a cab that will take you for 50 soles to this community. Once you arrive at Sorypampa you must start the hike, it has a distance of 2 km to the Humantay Lagoon, the average time to get there will depend on the physical condition you have, generally you arrive in 1 hour to an hour and a half. You should keep in mind that to return there will be no cars that can take you to Mollepata so you should tell the cab driver who took you that he can pick you up at a certain time and to make sure you pay at least half and he can pick you up.
  • With a travel agency: Hiring a tour with an agency will help you a lot, because the tourist agency provides mobility from the city of Cusco to the community of Soraypampa, just do the walk to reach Humantay with your guide who will guide you throughout the hike. And on the way back the transportation will be waiting for you to take you back to Cusco.

Remember that before entering the Humantay Lagoon you must pay the entrance fee, which costs 10 soles for domestic tourists and 20 soles for foreign tourists, this amount will be charged in the community of Soraypampa.

The Impressive Coloration of the Humantay Lagoon: A Unique Natural Phenomenon

Interestingly, the color we see in the water is due to a unique factor, the stunning turquoise hue of the Humantay Lagoon is the result of selective light absorption. Only the blues, light blue and turquoise are visible, when the light travels through the water it incredibly absorbs the red tones (the other colors of the rainbow are in the interior of the lagoon).

The minerals at the bottom of the lagoon and the interior flora combine with the color caused by the light effects to create this chromatic spectacle, but its purity makes it possible and you see that turquoise color.

Laguna Humantay
Humantay Lagoon

What to see and do in the Humantay Lagoon?

  • Natural scenery, during the hike and even the trip to Huamantay you can appreciate the mountains, its plants and even birds of the place that give it that charm.
  • You can stay in the beehive-shaped houses.
  • You will be able to see the Salkantay snow-capped mountain.

Travel from Cusco to Humantay Lagoon.

From the city of Cusco to the community of Mollepata is 2 and a half hours of travel and from there to Soraypampa is 1 and a half to 2 hours, and well the walk will depend on the physical that you have this will determine the time in which you arrive.

Difficulty level of the hike or trek

La caminata no es complicada, pues pueden ir tranquilamente los pequeños, los primeros 40 minutos el trayecto es semiplano y lo demás ya es cuesta arriba, pero no te preocupes que el trayecto es tranquilo y no es dificultoso.

Trekking Time

The time of arrival from Soraypampa to the Humantay Lagoon is from 1 to 2 hours approximately, the time will vary, since it will depend on the good physical condition of each visitor.

Health and altitude of the Humantay Lagoon

Before going to Humantay, you must first acclimatize in Cusco, because then you will climb to an altitude of over 4000 m, this does not mean that you will get sick when you go or you will be perfectly fine, this will depend on how your body reacts to the altitude.

Among the symptoms you may feel is headache, nausea, but for this there are pills that can help you with this problem and go up to reach the Humantay Lagoon.

Best time to visit the Humantay Lagoon

The best month to go is between May and November, because in these months it does not rain so it is the best time to visit and see the beautiful snow-capped mountain and its turquoise water.

Recommendations to visit the Humantay Lagoon

Before you go we have several recommendations before and during, below:

If you are going to travel before you should prepare some things, as we are going to climb to a considerable height you should take into account that it will be cold so you should bring warm clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, enough water, snacks and remember not to throw them on the road, carry the waste in your pocket.

And above all, wear good trekking shoes and always carry your ID or passport.

When you arrive at the Humantay Lagoon take into account these recommendations, it is not allowed to swim or dirty it because this water supplies several communities near it.

It is forbidden to leave waste in the lagoon, preferably bring your own garbage bag and dispose of it in the correct place.

Tours that include the Humantay Lagoon

I will mention the Terandes tours that include a visit to the Huamantay Lagoon.

  • Magical Cusco Tour, is a 7 day tour and will take you to the best tourist destinations in Cusco and you can also go to the Humantay Lagoon.
  • Perú Mágico, this tour is a 10 day tour and you will be able to visit different tourist sites and the Huamantay Lagoon.

Why visit the Humantay Lagoon with Tierras de los Andes?

Now that you have more information about this beautiful place, visiting the Humantay Lagoon is undoubtedly one of the best attractions to go, of course it is not the only one, but from the tourism agency Tierras de los Andes we make this experience possible, it has professional guides.

And above all we want you to take the best memories of this beautiful place and others, if you want to start the tour, just need to separate the date and we take care of the rest, write us to our WhatsApp +51 984 550 165 and we will help you make this adventure a reality.

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