Corona del Inca

The Corona del Inca is a lake filling the crater of an old volcano in the far northwest of La Rioja, its water an intense blue held in a near-circular caldera about five kilometres across, at over 5,300 metres above sea level. It is one of the highest lakes on Earth accessible by vehicle, and reaching the rim means a long climb by 4x4 across the puna beyond Laguna Brava, on tracks of loose volcanic rock, in air with roughly half the oxygen of sea level. From the rim, the lake sits far below in a bowl of dark red and grey slopes, ringed by the highest volcanoes in the Andes, with Pissis nearby. Guides run it as a single very long day, and even acclimatised travellers feel the altitude at the top.

What you actually see

• The crater lake - deep blue water inside a five-kilometre caldera.
• The rim view - the bowl of red and grey volcanic slopes falling to the water.
• The high volcanoes - Pissis and neighbouring peaks above 6,000 metres.
• The puna crossing - the long approach over empty high desert.

When to go

January to March is the only reliable window, when snow has cleared from the high tracks; outside those months the route is usually impassable. Trips start before dawn and return after dark, and cannot be attempted independently.

Honest expectations

At over 5,300 metres this is the highest ground most travellers will ever drive to, and altitude sickness is likely without days of acclimatisation first. The track is rough and remote, rescue is far away, and guided trips are expensive for good reason. Weather can cancel plans at any moment.

Nearby

Laguna Brava is passed on the way; Villa Unión is the base for expeditions.