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Humantay Lake: What I need to know before doing the tour

May 3, 2021

Cusco is known as a town in Peru characterized by having an impressive number of tourist paradises worthy of admiration.

Among them, it is impossible to fail to highlight the Humantay Lagoon, a natural attraction that leaves no one indifferent due to its impressive visual attractions.

It is a lagoon that, unlike many others that you can find in Peru, stands out for being composed of a turquoise color that is a product of the glacial bottom of the basin where its waters are located and that are due to glacial deterioration which comes from the mountain that bears the same name.

What to do to get to the Humantay Lagoon?

It is currently considered one of the main tourist attractions located in Cusco, something that becomes more evident when seeing this spectacular lagoon in person.

In order to reach this environmental attraction, you will have to make a land trip of approximately 2 hours from the city of Cusco to the small town of Mollepata, after that a second section is undertaken towards the community of Soraypampa, where we will finally start a walk of approximately an hour and a half, to the place where the lagoon is located.

If there is something you should take into account before taking the Humantay Lagoon Tour, it is that you must stay in good physical shape.

This is because at the beginning of the walk you will start at 3,870 meters above sea level, while when you finish it, you will be located more than 4,200 meters above sea level.

Despite this, it is an activity that is not considered complicated, taking into account that during the first few meters of the walk, the path is characterized by being flat and little by little it begins to climb continuously, until it reaches the lagoon.

When is it advisable to do the Humantay Lagoon Tour?

The climate of Humantay is characterized by being very similar to that of Cusco, which means that it is divided into a rainy season and a dry season.

This is something that you must take into account when taking the initiative to make the tour to the Humantay Lagoon, considering that if you do it in the rainy season, you will run the risk of not fully enjoying the tour.

During the months of December to March, the sky is characterized by remaining cloudy, otherwise than what happens during the dry season, which is considered the best time in which you can do this walk.

From the month of April to November, the weather in Humantay seems to be perfect to be used with the intention of visiting a tourist attraction as spectacular as this, in addition to that, during those dates, you will have the possibility of camping in the place, Although to do so, we recommend wearing clothing that keeps you warm enough.

What should you take in your luggage when you do the Humantay Lagoon Tour?

The main recommendation that you should take into account before making the Humantay Lagoon Tour, is to avoid taking things with you that are not strictly necessary.

This with the aim that you can do a comfortable walk and that you enjoy the entire route from beginning to end.

You must consider that it is a path that, despite the fact that it starts out soft, in some parts of the route you will find some steep climbs.

Carrying a lot of unnecessary luggage will cause you to end up exhausted without having the opportunity to enjoy this experience as you should.

Comfortable clothes

The tour consists of a route that can be extended for up to two hours depending on the pace of the walk. This means that the best option you can choose to enjoy a comfortable trip is to wear clothes that are as comfortable as possible.

To this you should include shoes of equal comfort and with which you do not run the risk of being able to slip during the journey.

Sunscreens

If you do the Humantay Lagoon Tour during the dry season, the sun is something that will never be missing on the way, this being the main reason why we recommend the use of sunscreen all the way so that you can protect yourself from the UV rays.

You should also add the use of a cap, if it is your preference, and sunglasses that do not cause you any discomfort.

Snack and Supplies

Hydration is always important on these types of tours. We recommend that you include enough water in your luggage to allow you to always stay hydrated.

In addition, it is always good to also have something with which you can easily feed yourself in order to keep you with a good energy.

Can you swim in the Humantay Lagoon?

Believe it or not, this is one of the questions most asked by those interested in taking the tour to the Humantay Lagoon. However, it is necessary to know that swimming in this lagoon is an activity that is totally prohibited today.

The reason for this decision is that the lagoon is one of the main sources of water for the communities that make their living around the town.

It is not even advisable to take it without the use of a filter, since there is a risk that if you do so, you may suffer the consequences of indigestion.

How to prevent altitude sickness?

Although many people are interested in knowing it, it is impossible to determine how anyone reacts to the effects of altitude sickness.

These are symptoms that translate into nausea or headaches that, although they last for a short time, can make this trip uncomfortable for the person experiencing them.

To avoid this, the best thing you can do is acclimatize your body. With acclimatize we mean that you spend at least one day in the city of Cusco with the intention that your body adapts little by little to the climate of this town.