Lauca National Park and Lago Chungara

National Park And UNESCO Biosphere Reserve On The Bolivian Border, Protecting The High Altiplano Around Lago Chungara And The Twin Payachata Volcanoes · Putre, Arica y Parinacota

Lauca National Park protects a stretch of the high Andean altiplano in Chile's far north, on the border with Bolivia, at altitudes of 4,000 metres and more. Its centrepiece is Lago Chungara, one of the highest large lakes in the world at about 4,500 metres, a sheet of deep blue water with the perfect snow-capped cone of Volcan Parinacota rising above it and its twin, Pomerape, beside it. Around it lie wetland bofedales full of grazing llamas and alpacas, herds of wild vicunas, viscachas sunning on the rocks, flamingos and giant coots on the lagoons, and the adobe village of Parinacota with its whitewashed colonial church. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The park lies about four hours' drive up from Arica on the coast, climbing from sea level to the altiplano, and altitude sickness is the defining challenge: the gateway town of Putre, at about 3,500 metres, is where visitors should spend a night or two acclimatising. Aymara communities live and farm across the region, and heavy trucks use the road to Bolivia.

Ruta 11, Parque Nacional Lauca, Putre, Arica y Parinacota, Putre, Arica y Parinacota, Chile

The park is open all year along the international road to Bolivia. Ranger posts keep daytime hours. Summer rains, the altiplanic winter of January and February, can close side tracks. Most visitors come on tours from Arica or stay in Putre to acclimatise.

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