
How to get by car to Lake Junin in central Peru?
Peru, south-america
57.8 km
4,182 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Let's talk about Lago Junín, a ridiculously stunning lake chilling way up in the Peruvian Andes at a lung-busting 13,720 feet. We're talking Junín Region, in the west-central part of Peru—seriously high altitude vibes here!
Now, the road hugging the western shore of Lago Junín (also called Lake Chinchaycocha) is all dirt, so buckle up for a bumpy ride! Most of the time, it's passable in a vehicle with decent clearance, but after a good rain, things get interesting. You might want to bring a 4x4.
This epic stretch of road runs for about 36 miles through the Reserva Nacional de Junín, connecting Vicco and Junín. The views? Absolutely unreal. Keep an eye out for Puente Upamayo, a bridge crossing the lake that'll definitely get your heart pumping — let's just say it's not for the faint of heart.
Where is it?
How to get by car to Lake Junin in central Peru? is located in Peru (south-america). Coordinates: -8.2870, -72.6375
Road Details
- Country
- Peru
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 57.8 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,182 m
- Difficulty
- hard
- Coordinates
- -8.2870, -72.6375
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