Description of the attraction
Lake Chungara (in the Aymara language ch'unkara, which means "moss on a stone") can be equated with one of the seven wonders of the world, it is a truly amazing place.
One of the highest navigable lakes in the world is located at an altitude of 4500 meters, its area is 21.5 sq. Km, depth is 33 m..km of magma, which blocked the drainage system, thereby creating a lake.
To see the Chungara Lake, you can start your journey through the Luta Valley and see the geoglyphs of the valley. Walk through the village of Poconchile, where you can see the church of St. Jerome, built in 1605 from limestone, with two spiers added later, and a colonial-era cemetery.
At an altitude of 2000 meters, there are "candelabra" cactuses that are typical of this area. At an altitude of 3000 meters, you can see the archaeological site of Pucara de Capaquilla (in Quechua: qupaqilla means "ash dust"), dating back to the 12th century, was declared a national monument of Chile in 1983. After that it is possible to see another archaeological site - the Zapayura dairy farm (in the Aymara language Jawira Zapa, which means "lonely river"), it was also declared a national monument in 1983. Come and see the small town of Socoroma, its adobe church of San Francisco (32 sq.m.) was built in 1560. Inside the church there is an altar made of adobe and stone, four images with silver crowns, a large number of frescoes on the walls and objects of ancient art - for example, an eagle made of wood used as a candlestick.
Climbing up to the lake, you can see a panoramic view of the provincial capital of Parinacota. Walk through the Lauca National Park, where a variety of animals and birds are found: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas, flamingos, coots, puma, Punu partridges, condors, etc.
From the shores of Lake Chungara, a magnificent landscape opens up to the Parinakota volcano - ideal conditions for relaxation and observation of the surrounding nature, combined with beautiful relief.
There are wetlands on the shore of the lake. Chungara has a unique and diverse fauna of over 130 native species, primarily flamingos and ducks. Its waters are home to catfish (Trichomycterus chungarensis) and carp (Orestias chungarensis), which are endemic to Lake Chungara.
The climate on the coast of the lake is an alpine desert, with a large temperature difference per day: the average temperature during the day is 12-20 ° C and from plus 3 ° C to minus 25 ° C at night.
When descending, you can go to the town of Putre (the capital of the province of Parinacota), see its main square, the 17th century church, walk along O'Higgins Street, on which bridges and benches are made of stone. Some houses of the town have retained their original appearance from the 17th century; doors and window sills are made of carved stone. However, many of the buildings today are mostly 19th century colonial buildings. If the trip takes place in the month of February, then you can get to the traditional festival - the festive Putra carnival.
