The Lares Trek is a once in a lifetime experience. It’s the perfect Andean experience full of wonderful sights including rivers, waterfalls, lagoons, and snowy mountain peaks. It also gets you up close and personal with the local communities.
You’ll get to learn all about their customs and traditions and enjoy some unique experiences like seeing how they raise llamas and alpacas as well as learning how they make their stunning textile pieces.
Enjoy this beautiful trek while making new friends with those in your group and the families you meet in the communities along the way.
Knowing what to expect can help you better prepare for your trek an help you decide if this is the best option for you.
Along the Lares trail you can expect to see some truly beautiful scenery and landscapes in the Andean mountains. It’s wonderful to be surrounded by snowy mountain peaks while enjoying rivers, waterfalls, and lagoons.
You’ll get plenty of opportunities to see some local flora and fauna including alpacas, llamas, and sheep.
This trek gets you up close and personal with those that live in the rural Andean communities. Spend some time with them and see how they work the land as well as create some amazing textile pieces.
Even if you walk at a slow pace, you can expect to feel a little tired at the end of each day. You’ll spend many hours walking at high altitude, which can exhaust the fittest of people. Make sure to pace yourself and keep hydrated.
This trek is off the beaten path and away from the majority of tourists. This makes for a wild adventure in the middle of the mountains.
The sky at night in the Andes tends to be open and very clear. This is a great chance to look up at the stars and relax while learning a little about Inca astrology.
The Lares district is in the Calca province of the department of Cusco.
The trek is relatively difficult. It’s not as tough as some of the others to Machu Picchu, but it does have its challenges. You’ll be walking over some rough terrain as well as being at high altitude, which can both pose challenges.
The ground can make it tough on your knees and ankles, whereas the high altitude can mean you feel breathless or tire easily.
To help you be well-prepared for the hike, we’ve created a packing list to make sure you’ve got all the essentials.
Take into consideration the following tips when getting ready for your trip.
Finally, here are a few recommendations from our team to make your trip go smoothly for you to enjoy a care-free vacation.
The Lares trek doesn’t tend to sell out, but you’ll still want to make sure you plan ahead. Hoping to book when you get to Cusco with a day or two’s notice could mean you’re left disappointed because there are no guides available.
The packing list is very important to make sure you have all the right things. You don’t want to be left in the middle of the mountains with a necessity that you can’t find anywhere.
This is an absolute must and something you can’t miss out on. Healthcare in Cusco is expensive if you need it. You’ll also find that most tour operators won’t allow you on heir trips if you don’t show you have it.
Read up on the different times of year in Cusco to make sure you come when it most suits you. May to October is dry season and lovely weather, but there a lot of tourists about. November to April is rainy season, but quieter.
We’ve already mentioned how big of an effect the altitude can have on trekkers. Look at our advice and take it to make sure you feel well and are up to the challenge of the hike.