The 3 Suns of Tres Cruces Lookout near Paucartambo

The town of Paucartambo, famed for its Virgin del Carmen Festival, is located just 68 miles southeast of Cusco and is easily accessed by car (3hrs) or bus (4-5hrs). One can travel the newly paved road from Cusco to Paucartambo by early morning bus. At points, it narrows to a single line bordered by a steep drop into the valley. For many, Paucartambo is a mere stopping point en route to Tres Cruces lookout at Acjanaco Pass and the Peruvian Amazon vía Manu Biosphere Reserve, one of the most biodiverse areas in the world. 

From Paucartambo, one travels twenty miles more along the rough road to Challabamba. Upon reaching the entrance to Manu park, one turns left and continues for the final eight miles to reach Tres Cruces, which is located in the Cloud Forest that separates the frigid Andean slopes from the Amazon. If you are planning on going by bus, you can grab a van to Tres Cruces from 3am.

From that point, you can look over the vast Amazon canopy, bathed in a deep fog. Remember that it is bitterly cold while waiting for the sun raise, so wear as many warming layers as you can. (Remember that it is bitterly cold while waiting for the sun raise, so wear as many warming layers as you can.) If you are lucky, you will be able to watch the unfolding of a unique phenomenon that occurs during the sunrise, which is most spectacular in June and July. People visit throughout the year, and it can happen on any day, but the phenomenom is unpredictable and sometimes ruined by excessive fog.

The sunset on a normal day begins at around 4:30-5am as a red or white stripe on the horizon. Surprisingly, a vertical white stripe referred to as the raya blanca then appears, making a cross. The line then shifts into a ball and grows multiple rings which color the sky as the jungle canopy comes into view. On very special days, the humid atmospheric conditions of Manu create another set of optical illusions, acting as a prism and making the sun appear to change positions along the horizon, creating three suns, one of which jumps from one side to the other. For this reason, the locals say that the sun comes out dancing in June and July. If one squints, the suns can take on the appearance of crosses, accounting for the lookout’s name. You can view the main cross which appears on most days these months in this video:

For information regarding tours including Tres Cruces or Manu, or transport from Cusco, feel free to contact our travel department, Pirwa Travel Service, at pirwatravel@gmail.com and one of our specialists will be pleased to help you plan your next adventure!