The Road to Salinas Lake is One of the Toughest Tracks in the World

Laguna de Salinas is a salt lake at an elevation of 4,335 meters (14,222 feet) above sea level, located in the Arequipa Region of Peru.

Salinas Lake

Is the Road to Salinas Lake Unpaved?

Set high in the Andes, the road to the lake is extremely challenging. To drive this trail, you must have supreme confidence in your vehicle and your driving skills. The road is called Ruta 34C. It’s entirely unpaved and features tunnels, dangerous drop-offs, narrow parts, countless curves, and hairpin turns. In some places, it’s only wide enough for one vehicle, bordered on one side by cliffs and on the other side by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) without guardrails.

How Long is the Road to Salinas Lake?

The road is 64.7 kilometers (40.20 miles) long, starting from Arequipa, the colonial-era capital of Peru’s Arequipa Region and the second most populous city in Peru. Due to its difficulty, plan about 2 hours to complete the drive to the lagoon without any stops.

 

 

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