Lake Chungará
Volcano reflections.
PeladínSinOlfato — CC BY-SA 3.0 · No machine-readable author provided. Hermann Luyken assumed (based on copyright claims). — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luca Galuzzi (Lucag) — CC BY-SA 2.5 · Satdeep Gill — CC BY-SA 4.0
A high park in Chile's far north and a biosphere reserve, centred on Lake Chungará at about 4,517 metres, one of the world's highest lakes, whose still blue water mirrors the snow-capped cone of Parinacota volcano, about 6,348 metres tall, and its twin Pomerape. Around the lake, grassy plains and high wetlands are grazed by wild vicuñas, llamas and alpacas, while flamingos, Andean geese and ducks feed on the water and viscachas, rabbit-like rodents, hide among the rocks. The road from Arica climbs from the desert coast through the Lluta valley and giant cacti to the village of Putre at about 3,500 metres, then onto the high plateau, passing small villages of adobe and stone houses. The altitude is dangerous: rising from sea level to over 4,500 metres in one day causes altitude sickness, so it is best to sleep a night or two in Putre first, walk slowly and drink plenty of water. Nights are bitterly cold.
Volcano reflections.
Wild herds.
To acclimatise.
The Andes on the Bolivian border, about 190 km east of Arica via Putre
Possible on a long tour, but the fast climb to 4,500 m causes altitude sickness, so it is better to sleep in Putre first.