Laguna de la Cocha
An Andean highland lake at 2760 meters, with a village of colorful wooden houses, El Encano, on its shore. Visitors can take boat rides and eat rainbow trout.
Laguna de la Cocha lies about 25 kilometers southeast of Pasto. It is Colombia's second-largest natural lake and is on the list of internationally important wetlands. It is surrounded by cloud-shrouded páramo highlands and forest. At the lake outlet, the village of El Encano is lined with colorful wooden houses along a canal, along with Swiss-style wooden restaurants. The signature dish is grilled rainbow trout. Visitors can rent a boat for an hour-long lake tour, visit Corota Island in the lake, or spend a night by the shore. From Pasto, a minibus or taxi takes about 40 minutes. The highlands are cold and often rainy, so bring a jacket and rain gear.
Opening hours
All day; boats about 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Nearby sights
- Isla de la Corota Sanctuary
- Nariño Gold Museum
- Church of Cristo Rey
- Blacks and Whites' Carnival
- Plaza de Nariño
- Church of La Merced
- Church of Santiago Apóstol
- Church of San Juan Bautista