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Puya Raimondi are the biggest pineapple (bromeliad) plants of the world. They bloom with 50-75 years once for 9 months with 8,000-10,000 niches and a flower altitude of up to 10 m height, then they die. They grow between 3500 and 4700 m altitude.
Although the lake is little more than a weed-choked pond, the ease of access makes this a popular acclimatization hike. Take a 15 min collectivo, letter E or number 10, from Mercado Central on the corner of Hualcan Street and Raimondi (S/1.5). Ask to stop in Chiwipampa, "Puente Santa Cruz". From the bridge, the trail is 3.2 km and 500 m of elevation to the lake and is marked by blue arrows. The laguna is very small, but there are good views of the Cordillera Blanca range. 1½-2 hr of walking to the lake, 1 hr to get down.
A 45 min walk to a lookout above the city. The trail starts near the cemetery and continues past the mirador but there have been cases of robbery so don't bring valuables.