Tres Cruces is a natural viewpoint located on the edge of the Manu Biosphere Reserve. It is located a few hours from the town of Paucartambo, at 105 kilometers by road from the city of Cusco.
In Tres Cruces you can watch the “White Lightning”, a phenomenon that occurs when the sun rises on the horizon.
At that moment the light passes through the humid atmosphere and is distorted as if it were passing through a prism. The effect is varied, ranging from appreciating three suns at the same time, to the rise of a tiny sun through the clouds. This occurs during sunrises in June, and less frequently in July.
Tres Cruces is a natural observatory on the top of a mountain from where you can have a panoramic view of the sunrise in the jungle of Cusco: a spectacle that offers an unusual beauty in the world. It is also recognized as the ‘most beautiful sunrise in the world’.
The mountain where you can see this show is called ‘Akhanacu’. It is also known as the ‘Balcony of the East’ because the Manu National Park extends from there in the jungle of Peru.
In addition, you will be able to observe a jungle landscape below the natural viewpoint and in the sky a great variety of colors and cloudscapes, caused by the sun before rising.
The viewpoint is located at 3700 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.). From the viewpoint you can see the snow-capped mountains of the immense snowy peaks of Ausangate and the first green areas of Manu. Paucartambo is 109 kilometers from the city of Cuzco.