Tres Cruces

Tres Cruces de Oro sits at about 3,700 metres on the rim where the eastern Andes drop away into the Amazon basin, at the edge of Manu National Park, and it is a place people come to for one specific thing: the sunrise. Because the sun rises over an unbroken sea of cloud filling the basin below, with the observer above it and moisture in the air, the light does unusual things - the sun appearing to split, double or pulse, colours shifting rapidly, and haloes and glories in the cloud. The effect is best around the June solstice and in the winter months, and it does not happen every morning. It has been observed and valued locally for a long time and is tied to the Paucartambo festival calendar. Getting there means driving in the dark on a rough track and waiting in the cold; there are basic shelters and camping and no facilities. Below the rim the road drops into cloud forest toward Manu.

What you actually see

• The Andes-Amazon edge - the rim where the mountains fall into the basin.
• The sunrise effects - splitting, doubling and haloes in the cloud below.
• The cloud sea - the basin filled beneath the viewpoint.
• The Manu descent - the road dropping into cloud forest below.

When to go

May to July gives the best chance of the optical effect, particularly around the June solstice. It does not happen every morning. Arrive before dawn and expect to wait in the cold.

Honest expectations

The effect is not guaranteed and many mornings show only an ordinary sunrise. A rough track in the dark, four-wheel drive advised. No facilities, and it is genuinely cold before dawn at 3,700 metres.

Nearby

Paucartambo and its July festival are back down the road; Manu National Park is below.