Perched high in the eastern Andes of Peru, La Rinconada stands at nearly 5,000 metres above sea level, making it the world’s highest permanent human settlement. Life here unfolds at the edge of human endurance, where oxygen levels are almost half of what people breathe at sea level and basic services like running water and sewage systems simply do not exist.
Despite the harsh environment, nearly 50,000 people continue to live and work in this remote mining town, driven largely by one powerful force: gold.
Life at an altitude where breathing itself is a challenge
Located on a steep mountainside beneath a retreating glacier known locally as La Bella Durmiente, La Rinconada sits roughly 650 kilometres from the Bolivian border. The thin air at this altitude makes even simple tasks exhausting for newcomers. A short walk can cause dizziness and breathlessness, while temperatures often plunge below freezing.
The ground is a chaotic mix of rock, ice, and mining waste. Yet over the years, makeshift homes, small shops, and informal roads have spread across the slope, forming a town that looks permanent despite its fragile foundations.
A town that grew without planning or basic infrastructure
La Rinconada was never designed to be a city. It began more than four decades ago as a temporary mining camp, but as gold discoveries multiplied, people stayed. Infrastructure never caught up with population growth.
There is no formal sewage network, and residents must carry clean water from distant sources. Garbage is commonly burned or dumped outside the town, adding to environmental and health risks. Electricity arrived only in the early 2000s, long after thousands had already settled in the area.
Gold mining defines survival and daily life
Gold is the reason La Rinconada exists. Mining here follows an informal system known as cachorreo. Under this arrangement, miners work for weeks without pay, often up to 30 days at a time. At the end of this period, they are allowed to take as much ore as they can physically carry out of the mine. Any gold extracted from that ore becomes their reward.
The system attracts people willing to risk their health and safety for the chance of striking it rich, even though many leave with little to show for months of labour.
Population surged as gold prices climbed
La Rinconada’s population exploded in the early 2000s as global gold prices rose sharply. Between 2000 and 2009, the town’s population is estimated to have grown by more than 200 percent. Migrants arrived from across Peru, drawn by stories of opportunity and fast money.
The sudden growth overwhelmed any possibility of organised development. Housing, sanitation, healthcare, and waste management remained largely improvised, leaving residents exposed to severe living conditions.
Severe health risks in thin air
Living at such extreme altitude places immense strain on the human body. Many residents suffer from chronic mountain sickness, a condition caused by prolonged exposure to low oxygen levels. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and heart complications.
Medical experts estimate that around one in four people in La Rinconada may be affected. Healthcare facilities are limited, and serious cases often require patients to be transported down to lower altitudes for treatment.
La Rinconada exists in constant tension with its environment. The glacier above continues to retreat, health risks remain unresolved, and living conditions show little sign of improvement. Yet people stay, bound by economic necessity and the hope of gold.
For now life continues in the world’s highest town, shaped by cold, thin air, and the promise buried deep beneath the mountain.