Lauca National Park — Arica to LagoChungará.
Distance
220 km
Duration
2 days
Climb
4,600 m
Lauca National Park — Arica to Lago Chungará.
A high-altitude ascent of Chile's Ruta 11 from sea-level Arica into Lauca National Park, climbing over 4,500m in a single sweep. The reward is the altiplano — vicuña herds, snow-capped volcanoes, colonial chapels, and Lago Chungará, one of the highest lakes on Earth, mirroring the perfect cone of Parinacota. Acclimatise overnight in Putre; altitude is the real challenge here.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance220 km
Days2
Total climb4,600 m
DifficultyChallenging
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2 days, 2 moods.
A suggested split across 2 days with 6 waypoints to discover along the way.
AricaStart · Start in Arica, Chile's northernmost city on the Pacific. Top up fuel and water — Ruta 11 (CH-11) climbs from sea level to over 4,500m. Carry warm layers.
PoconchileScenic Point · Old Camino del Inca village in the Lluta Valley. 17th-century San Geronimo church and giant candelabra cactus. Last green before the long desert climb.
PutreOvernight · Overnight in Putre (3,500m). Essential acclimatisation stop before Lago Chungara — sleep here to avoid altitude sickness higher up. Coca tea helps.
Lagunas de CotacotaniScenic Point · Volcanic lagoons and lava fields inside Lauca National Park. Vicunas, vizcachas and flamingos. Thin air at 4,500m — ride gently and watch for ice in shade.
Parinacota VillageScenic Point · Tiny altiplano hamlet at 4,400m with a whitewashed 17th-century colonial church. One of the highest inhabited villages in Chile.
Lago ChungaráEnd · Journey's end at one of the world's highest lakes (4,517m), mirror-still beneath the perfect cone of Parinacota Volcano (6,380m). The Bolivian border is just beyond.
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