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