Sans nom
The place
A high-altitude shelter on the Andean high plateaus of Huancavelica (central Peru), at 4516 m in the heart of the dry puna. The area — coordinates 12.82°S / 75.58°W — corresponds to the surroundings of the Laguna Choclococha (4605 m), one of the largest lagoons in the region and a source of the Pampas and Ica rivers. The lagoon is known for the ghost village of Choclococha, submerged in the 1970s during a sudden rise in water levels: 50 to 80 abandoned houses remain today, covered in the typical vegetation of the puna. The area has no commercial lodging — visitors stay in Castrovirreyna or Huancavelica. The shelter is likely used by alpaca herders and lagoon fishermen, in a very high-altitude setting marked by cold winds, sparse vegetation (ichu), and herds of alpacas and vicuñas.
Getting there
Approach from Castrovirreyna or Huancavelica via the road to the Laguna Choclococha (4605 m). Altitude acclimatization required.
The setting
Dry puna around the Laguna Choclococha (4605 m), Huancavelica, submerged ghost village.
