La Cocha Lagoon is the second largest lagoon in Colombia, in addition to its environmental importance, this place takes us back to ancestral times. Legend has it that this place was the accomplice of a sad love story between Pucura and Tamia. Pucura was the leader of the tribe and Tamia was his wife, they had three beautiful children and were a happy family until Tamia succumbed to the courtship of Munani, a dancer who stole his heart. Pucura decided to flee with her children to the mountains to raise insects, in this way Tamia and her lover showed their love freely for the 7 cities of the area, but the other inhabitants did not accept such a fact, to the point of denying them any service.
One day Tamia and Munani tricked a little boy to help them get a cup of water and went to a paddock, there, the lover dropped the cup and all the water was watered, from the cup came a lot of water to the point of starting to drown them, then one of the insects that Pucura raised stung the lover and made Munani begin to expel huge amounts of water through his mouth and nose to flood all 7 cities around him. Pucura, who was in the mountains with her three children, sadly saw the scene. It is said that when Pucura remembers the betrayal and the sad ending, he cries with rays and flashes and his tears make the flow of the lagoon of Cocha increase flooding the populations near the lagoon.
How to get to La Cocha Lagoon, Nariño?
La Cocha Lagoon is located in Vereda El Encano about 20 kilometers from the city of Pasto, to get to Laguna de Cocha must first arrive at Pasto, from the transport terminal you will find buses that take you to El Encano in a journey of 30 minutes approximately. In El Encano you will have to walk only a few minutes until you reach the entrance of Laguna de Cocha.
Geography and climate in La Cocha Lagoon, Nariño
La Cocha Lagoon is a place that presents great humidity and rains, located at 2800 meters above sea level, in your visit to this tourist site do not forget to take clothes for cold climates, raincoat and change clothes in case the rain surprises you.
What to do in the lagoon of La Cocha?
In the lagoon of Cocha the tourist will be able to realize diversity of activities, apart from marveling with the enchanting beauty of the place, will be able to realize ecological walk and hiking sightseeing the beautiful landscape that adorns the lagoon,La Cocha Lagoon is a calm place, in which it will be able to feel peace and comfort.
You have the option of taking a boat tour around the lagoon, you can also practice rainbow trout fishing. If you wish to practice nautical sports, you can practice Kayak in Cocha Lagoon.
This huge lagoon is 5 kilometers wide and 20 kilometers long. It is an ecotourism plan in which the only thing the visitor should do is enjoy this mystical place. And not only this, in 1977 a Sanctuary of flora and fauna was created to preserve and protect the species that inhabit the Cocha Lagoon and the Corota. You can make the journey to the viewpoint of the Sanctuary of the Lagoon and visit the Chapel of the Virgin of Lourdes.
In the middle of the Cocha Lagoon is “La Corota”, a rocky formation that, according to legend, represents the cup in which the water that the Lover dropped to the ground was found. Many boats make the journey to visit this exciting place. In short, this tourist destination is a magical place, where we meet our ancestors again and find calm and peace.
Gastronomy in Laguna de la Cocha
On the shores of Laguna de Cocha you will find restaurants with tasty menus at different prices, you can taste the famous Cuy, food characteristic of the region. You will also find places to buy souvenirs.
Lodging in La Laguna de la Cocha, Nariño
This place is so complete that in the vicinity of Laguna de Cocha you will find a variety of hotels and hostels to spend the night. If you prefer a more adventurous stay, you will find places and camping areas at a good price.
Cost
Enteringto La Cocha Lagoon has no cost, however, to enter to La Corota you must pay a boat service to the small island and pay an income contribution of about $2,000 colombian pesos.
