Laguna Parón, Cordillera Blanca

Silent awe enters people’s expressions when they talk of Laguna Parón. Nestled at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level, along a bumpy road 15 miles east of Caraz, and surrounded by spectacular snow-covered peaks, many claim this to be the most beautiful lake in the Cordillera Blanca. It is certainly the largest, despite its water levels being lowered from 246 feet to 49 feet in the mid-1980s to prevent a collapse of Huandoy’s moraine.