The two lakes of Llanganuco — Chinancocha and Orconcocha — are the most-photographed natural features of the Cordillera Blanca. They sit in a deep glacial valley between Huascarán and Huandoy, their improbable blue-green colour the result of suspended glacial sediment. Boat rides on Chinancocha take you out into the middle of the lake for the classic view back to the mountains.
The road from Yungay climbs through queñual tree forest into the valley, and the drive alone is spectacular. Most visitors combine Llanganuco with the Yungay memorial on a half-day or full-day trip. The lakes also serve as the starting point for the Llanganuco-Santa Cruz loop trek, one of the longer multi-day routes in the Cordillera Blanca. If you are spending several days in Huaraz, a late-afternoon visit to Llanganuco, when the crowds thin and the light turns golden, is hard to beat.