Millpu Lagoons

Millpu, the Seven Turquoise Pools, is a series of natural basins cut into pale rock in a narrow gorge at about 3,600 metres south of Ayacucho, where the water carries dissolved carbonate that turns it an intense turquoise in sunlight. There are more than seven of them, terraced down the canyon with short falls between, and the walk from the road descends into the gorge and follows the water. Timing is everything: in the rainy season from December to April the river runs brown with sediment and the colour is completely absent, so the site is effectively closed to visitors from around January to March. It became widely known through social media in the late 2010s and traffic rose sharply, with the local community now managing access and charging a fee. Swimming is restricted in some pools to limit damage to the mineral surfaces.

What you actually see

• The pools - more than seven basins terraced down a narrow gorge.
• The colour - turquoise from dissolved carbonate, only in sunlight and dry water.
• The gorge - pale rock walls with short falls linking the basins.
• The community management - local control of access after a surge in visitors.

When to go

May to November. From roughly January to March the river runs brown and there is no colour at all - the site is often closed. A full day from Ayacucho, going early.

Honest expectations

Outside the dry months the pools are muddy brown and the trip is wasted. Three hours each way from Ayacucho on rough road. At 3,600 metres with a descent and climb back out. Swimming is limited to protect the rock.

Nearby

Huancapi is the district town; Ayacucho is north.