San Pablo Lake

The San Pablo Lagoon, located at the foot of the majestic Imbabura Volcano, offers several trails that will take us to natural viewpoints such as El Lechero and Mira Lago, the latter is located on one side of the Panamericana.

Otavalo has a beautiful lake that was formed at the foot of the Imbabura volcano.

Parishes such as Gonzáles Suárez, San Pablo, San Rafael and their respective communities are located near the lagoon of San Pablo. One of the communities is Araque, where we will find the Aquatic Park, a place where we are offered boat tours and a variety of typical dishes of the area in its restaurant. It has an asphalt road that is located around the one.

At Ibarra San Pablo Lake, the famous swimming crossing is carried out year after year due to the celebration of the Yamor.

The lagoon has an area of 7 km2 and in the center of the lake is 48 meters deep and on the shores is the totora which is a product that is used for making handicrafts, which are then marketed.

San Pablo Lake

Information for tourists who want to visit San Pablo Lake Ecuador:

• San Pablo Lake location The San Pablo Lagoon is located in the parishes of Gonzáles Suárez, Eugenio Espejo and San Rafael; only 10.7 km (10 minutes) south of the city of Otavalo - Province Imbabura - Ecuador. It is located at an altitude of 2660 m.a.s.l. and the average temperature of the environment is 12°C.
• San Pablo Lake how to get there

• In own vehicle
  • If you are coming from Quito: by the right entrance of Gonzáles Suárez to pass through the communities of San Pablo and Araque. It is the fastest way to get to the Araque Water Park.
  • If you are coming from Otavalo or Ibarra: through the left entrance of Eugenio Espejo, here you will reach the old dock and continue along the road to several communities such as Camuendo, Compañía and finally Araque.

• By public transport
  • If you are coming from Quito: we get off at the stop of Gonzáles Suárez to take a taxi that will take us to the place we indicate.
  • From Otavalo: there are cooperatives like Otavalo, Los Lagos and Imbaburapac that will take us to the communities of San Pablo, Araque or Trojaloma from where we can reach the lagoon. Cost of the ticket: 25 cents.
• San Pablo Lake features
  • San Pablo Lake Climate: Average local temperature: 12°C
  • Height San Pablo Lake: 2660 meters above sea level
  •     It is called San Pablo Lake also known as Imbacocha
  • Lago San Pablo hosteria. It has accommodation sites with excellent service, such as Hostería Puertolago and Hostería Cabañas del Lago, which will make your stay more pleasant on your visit Otavalo.
• San Pablo Lake clothes to wear
  • Warm clothes in winter season
  • Comfortable shoes
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Glasses
  • Cap
  • Photo camera

• San Pablo Lake recommendations
  • In San Pablo Lake it is advisable to collect the waste in a container to throw it in a dumpster because the surrounding area does not have them.
  • If they carry their own boat, take into account the existing air currents so as not to be dragged by them.
• San Pablo Lake Flora and Fauna
  • Fauna The fauna of the lagoon is eminently ichthyological, such as rainbow trout and carp. The variety of birds can be admired as grebes, cormorants, crow ducks, white heron, gaucabas, ducks, patillos, gallaretas, hummingbirds, sea swallows, cullingos flag and amphibians that fill the lagoon and its surroundings with life.
  • Flora La Laguna has the highest concentration of totorales on the eastern, northeastern and southern shores. You can also see forests of eucalyptus, willows and pines.

• San Pablo Lake what to do
  • High-altitude water sports, where you can enjoy a variety of sports for all ages and tastes, such as: Speed Boat, Water bikes, Sky, Wakeboard, Keneeboard, buoys and Kayas utube.
  • There are annual events such as championships, slalom, motorcycle gyncana and water sports shows.
  • Swing San Pablo Lake To the shores of the lake is the swing, this site gives us the best view of the volcano Imbabura formed a unique landscape with this lagoon, this attraction is in the Puerto Lago inn.
  • Sailing: The Yacht Club usually organizes world sailing championships and weekend activities such as rides in motorized canoes, rowing and boats.
  • Outings: The Chicapan Fishing Club has boats for outings and sport fishing.
  • Research: There is also the Punyaro Fishing Station, which investigates and experiments with the adaptation of ichthyological species.
  • Season: The trip to San Pablo Lake takes place during the Yamor festivities in September.
• Activities in San Pablo Lake
  • Picnic
  • Photography
  • Walking
  • Mystical tourism

San Pablo Lake legend

The history of San Pablo Lake in Imbabura begins like this.

Rumor has it that many years ago, when the mountains and lagoons were our advisors, this legend is realized.

In a very small village there was a very beautiful young woman whose name was Pakarina who was deeply in love with a young man named Ali Shungo who was very hardworking and responsible. Ali Shungo passed every morning by the house of Pakarina, she put on her best clothes so that Ali Shungo will notice her, but nothing worked, Ali Shungo did not notice her.

One day Pakarina decided to seek the wise advice of Tayta Imbabura, upon arriving at him, Pacarina told his problem to Tayta Imbabura, he told him that the advice he was looking for could not give him, that he should wait for the return of his wife Mishki Yaku (St. Paul's Lagoon) to receive his advice, the return of his wife would be within three days. Hoping that Mishki Yaku would help her with this problem, she returned home.

After three days, she returned to the mountain, there was already waiting for Tayta Imbabura's wife, she was already aware of her problem, she wisely said that it is very nice to be in love, but no one could be forced to fall in love because love by force is not love, Pakarina understood perfectly what she tried to explain, then Mishki Yaku told her that to get him fall in love we could help a little.

She ordered Pakarina to take all the types of corn she could find and to plant them in the four cardinal points, she obeyed to the letter all the indications, with great care she took care of the seven kinds of corn that she had planted when the corn yielded fruit Pakarina returned to Mishki Yaku and told him to give her the rest of the instructions.

Mishki Yaku told her to pick up the corn and place the shells in a white blanket in which she would stay until the corn germinated after the corn was germinated. She should cook all night and give him a glass of this drink to drink every day and she did. She picked up the corn, made it germinate, cooked it and gave it a glass to drink every day, in a very short time began to give its results, Ali Shungo began to notice her and in a very short time began to fall in love with Pakarina.

For this reason the "Yamor" is considered a drink for gods and for love.