Laguna Parón

Parón is the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca, sitting at about 4,200 metres in a valley closed by glaciated peaks - Artesonraju at its head is the pyramid widely believed to have inspired the Paramount Pictures logo, though the studio has never confirmed it. The water is a deep blue rather than the pale turquoise of Laguna 69, and a viewpoint on the moraine ridge above gives the full length of it. It is reached by a rough switchback road from Caraz, about an hour and a half, and unlike Laguna 69 the lake is at the roadside, so it requires no hiking beyond an optional walk along the shore or up to the mirador. Parón has been at the centre of a long dispute: the lake was tapped for hydroelectric generation under a private concession, local communities blockaded it over water rights and safety in 2008, and control has been contested since. Glacier retreat above it is substantial.

What you actually see

• The lake - the largest in the Cordillera Blanca, deep blue at 4,200 metres.
• Artesonraju - the pyramid peak at its head, linked to the Paramount logo.
• The mirador - the moraine ridge viewpoint above the water.
• The roadside access - no hiking required, unlike Laguna 69.

When to go

May to September, the dry season. The road is rough and closed at times in the rains. A day from Huaraz or half a day from Caraz.

Honest expectations

The access road is rough switchbacks and slow. At 4,200 metres, altitude affects visitors even without a hike. Cold and windy. The lake has been closed at times during disputes over the hydroelectric concession.

Nearby

Caraz is below; Laguna 69 and the Llanganuco valley are south-east.