Cuicocha Lagoon

Location: The Reserve belongs to the provinces of Esmeraldas (Cantons: San Lorenzo, Eloy Alfaro and Río Verde) and Imbabura (Cantons: Cotacachi, Urcuquí and Ibarra).

How to get there: To arrive from Quito, from the North Pan American Highway you reach the city of Cotacachi . From here continue for 12 kilometers of paved road to reach the Cuicocha lagoon.

Getting there by bus: If you want to travel by bus you must first arrive at the terminal of Otavalo, Ibarra or Cotacachi, once here take a bus to Quiroga for 25 cents. Once you are in Quiróga you must rent a van for the cost of 4 dollars, this will take you to the lagoon.

Cuicocha meaning: After the Spanish conquest the Lake Achicocha, a Quichua name meaning Lake of the Gods was called Cuicocha.

Schedule: Monday to Sunday 07:00 to 19:00

Entrance fee: 1.50 USD

Cuicocha tourism

• The eastern area of the Reserve is constituted by undulated and dissected moors by rivers and rocky creeks, with extensive areas of swamp and dozens of lagoons of variable size located in zones poorly drained further west, the terrain descends sharply towards the extensive plains of the coast by a series of subcordilleras and blades.
• Cuicocha Loma Viewpoint: You can go on an excursion to the viewpoint Cuicocha Loma.
• Mirador de las Antenas: It is located northwest of the lagoon of Cuicocha, from this place it is possible to reach a panoramic view of Lake San Pablo and the cantons Otavalo, Atuntaqui and Ibarra, as well as well as the moors of Mojanda and more towns of the interandino alley.
•  Landscape: The first thing that attracts attention is the majesty of the three kilometers in diameter lagoon, its crystal clear waters and the Teodoro Wolf islets (the largest) and José María Yerovi. They are located in the center of a volcanic crater and are divided by "The Dream Channel".  The place is inhabited by guinea pigs, which give the name to the lagoon.
• Crafts: Upon entering the place we found some handicraft stalls with leather goods such as: wallets, wallets, belts, suitcases, shoes, clothes, among others, as well as wool fabrics and more.
• Kayak: The tourist can rent canoes that have the hostels of the place, canoes for two people, with their respective oars and lifevest.
• In addition, the tourist can take a course of a day and a half, which starts on Friday, you learn the technique in the management of oars and you lose the fear of the lagoon.
• Cuicocha Lagoon Legend:  The Giant and the Lagoon

 Cuicocha

Let's talk about the Cuicocha lagoon, we start by citing an apology of Alfredo Albuja Galindo that is, visibly real and true: 'There is no exaggeration in stating that the Cuicocha lagoon is the most beautiful and picturesque of the lagoons of the province ".

"Indeed, this lake jewel is a crater or millenary boiler formation that is located in the southeast slopes of Mama Cotacachi, at a height of 3,065 masl. In technical terms it is said that it is a "stratovolcano", because it is formed by layers or layers of lava and other volcanic materials that were ejected by ancient eruptions. Its last eruptions occurred 2,000 or 3,000 years ago. The scientific studies today reveal that this lagoon crater has very little chance of going into activity. "

Cuichocha Lagoon

Our ancestors called it Tuis Cocha or Lagoon of the Gods. It has three kilometers in diameter and nine in perimeter, with a maximum depth of 148 meters. Its dark blue waters welcome two separate islets to the Canal of the Dreams. The first islet is called Theodore Wolf, "with an extension of 0,41 square kilometer, and the second one is called Jose Maria Yerovi with an extension of 0,26 square kilometer. The natural mosaic of the islets complements its richness in flora and fauna; because there are 400 vegetation species of the sector, orchids, bromeliads, mosses, lichens, arrayanes, cedars, pumamaquis ... Similarly, in these two

small elevations inhabit certain animals such as the rabbits,  armadillos, skunks, the chucuris and sachacuys.  Additionally several species make a scale here, such as turtle birds, hummingbirds, blackbirds and owls.

Something that emerges from the depth of the lagoon is obvious: there are gas bubbles that come from underground fumaroles. This form of volcanic reaction limits the ichthyological life. However there are two details that complete the beauty and attraction of Cuicocha: a path that borders it and allows you to appreciate the lagoon at every step as a whole.  The other detail is its cleanliness. The Lagoon of the Gods It is always free of any kind of waste.

Cuicocha is not alone in the lacustrine landscape of the Cotacachi territory. In the moors of Piñan rest a set of lagoons at  4,000 masl. There is the Donoso lagoon, with its two and a half kilometers long. In order of size, the lagoon of Cristococha and a countless number of lagoons of   few meters in diameter.

Another type of blessing is found in mineral and thermal water sources, widely used for tourist and therapeutic purposes. The closest fountain  near the Canton is on the banks of the Yanayacu River, having been examined by scientists Wolf and Dressel. A second one is located in Nangul-xi, in the Intag area, very close to Apuela, its temperature eaches 71 degrees Celsius.

Cuicocha Ecuador

Poem to the lagoon of Cuicocha

Lagoon

Stone, crystal and blue - only Laguna,

no paintings of smiling meadows,

no laughing laugh

of silver fish and fishermen,

no white herons and no white foam ...

In a blue sky

remoteness and depth

and the serene shadow of the walls

over the deep water.

Water without the smile of the lights

Let the heights shine up

And  beauty of golden whimsical reliefs

The dark walls.

The twin islets

arise from the heart of the lagoon

land for singing plants

in search of stillness, water and moon

Water for thinking - closed glass

like in the bowl of a dark hand

in an austere and sad distance

and a great loneliness, calm and silent