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Trip Planner:   South America  /  Ecuador  /  Imbabura Province  /  Cotacachi  /  Cuicocha

Cuicocha, Cotacachi

4.7
#1 of 61 in Things to do in Imbabura Province
Must see · Water Body · Nature / Park
Create an itinerary including Cuicocha
Densely forested mounds and volcanoes rise out of scenic Cuicocha, lending it a serene atmosphere. Many hiking trails and nature spots surround the hazy blue lake and provide ample viewing opportunities of the surrounding scenery, colorful wildflowers, and local bird population. The trails are best traveled clockwise, as the opposite direction is largely uphill. Make Cuicocha a centerpiece of your Cotacachi vacation itinerary, and find what else is worth visiting using our Cotacachi trip planner.
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Tours to Cuicocha

FROM $60 BOOK WITH VIATOR Otavalo, Cotacachi and Cuicocha Tour With Optional Hotel Pick-Up - "Small Group" Otavalo, Cotacachi and Cuicocha Tour With Optional Hotel Pick-Up - "Small Group"
4.1
Duration: 9 hours
Tours from $60 ›
FROM $76 BOOK WITH VIATOR Otavalo, Cuicocha Lake and Cayambe Small Group Full Day Tour Otavalo, Cuicocha Lake and Cayambe Small Group Full Day Tour
4.7
Duration: 12 hours
Tours from $76 ›
FROM $85 BOOK WITH VIATOR Otavalo, Cuicocha Lake and Peguche Waterfall from Quito - Private Tours Otavalo, Cuicocha Lake and Peguche Waterfall from Quito - Private Tours
5.0
Duration: 8 to 9 hours
Tours from $85 ›
FROM $70 BOOK WITH VIATOR Cultural Tour of Otavalo: Market and Cuicocha Lagoon visit all inclusive Cultural Tour of Otavalo: Market and Cuicocha Lagoon visit all inclusive
4.9
Duration: 11 hours
Tours from $70 ›
FROM $67 BOOK WITH VIATOR Full-Day Otavalo and Cotacachi Market Tour Full-Day Otavalo and Cotacachi Market Tour
5.0
Duration: 11 hours
Tours from $67 ›
FROM $60 BOOK WITH VIATOR Otavalo Market - Full day BY ECUADORTREASURE Otavalo Market - Full day BY ECUADORTREASURE
5.0
Duration: 8 to 9 hours
Tours from $60 ›
FROM $417 BOOK WITH VIATOR 2-Day Excursion to Otavalo & Lakes - "Small Group" 2-Day Excursion to Otavalo & Lakes - "Small Group"
1.0
Duration: 2 days
Tours from $417 ›
FROM $495 BOOK WITH VIATOR Four days of adventure and adrenaline Four days of adventure and adrenaline
Duration: 4 days
Tours from $495 ›
FROM $3,848 BOOK WITH VIATOR Best of Ecuador: Andes, Coastlines and Cloud Forests Best of Ecuador: Andes, Coastlines and Cloud Forests
Duration: 19 days
Tours from $3,848 ›

Cuicocha reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
853 reviews
Google
4.8
TripAdvisor
  • By Kevin S
    A water filled caldera with some islands formed by the last of the lava in the centre. A wonderful sight, but I am partial to good volcanic scenes. A visitor centre offers lakeside views and boat... 
    A water filled caldera with some islands formed by the last of the lava in the centre. A wonderful sight, but I am partial to good volcanic scenes. A visitor centre offers lakeside views and boat...  more »
  • By NatureExplorerGal
    The area was stunning. I didn't have time to hike all around the lake, so I just hiked a mile or so up the trail to scenic viewpoints and only saw people twice on that hike. There were few people... 
    The area was stunning. I didn't have time to hike all around the lake, so I just hiked a mile or so up the trail to scenic viewpoints and only saw people twice on that hike. There were few people...  more »
  • By fernandafJ3505OP
    Beautiful Cuicocha Lake 40 minutes from Ibarra, located in Cotacachi, a small town full of color, clothes and handcrafted crafts. Its climate is warm but it is always good to wear a sweater to break....  more
    Beautiful Cuicocha Lake 40 minutes from Ibarra, located in Cotacachi, a small town full of color, clothes and handcrafted crafts. Its climate is warm but it is always good to wear a sweater to break....  more »
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Google
  • By Andrea Celleri
    Súper cool trail to do. Aproximadamente 14 kilometers in total. The trail is well marked and easy to walk. Would recommend taking some food and drinks to be able to complete.
  • By Roch Gan
    Great boat tour for $3.50, and a beautiful hike around the lake.
  • By Amine Boushaq
    What a beautiful hike around the Cuicocha lake 😍😍 I went there during spring Holidays and it wasn't crowded. I have done the hike without a guide even a lot of people recommend us to take a guide. Honestly, we were planning to take a guide but when we went there a security guard said you can do it alone because it is well maintained and marked road so no worries. We went and it went really really awesome. I would completely recommend doing that hike.
  • By Paul Garcia
    About one hour drive Northwest of the town of Otavalo, is Cuicocha caldera and crater lake. It is nearly 3km across and sits at the foot of Cotacachi Volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes. At the center of the lake sits two small islands. The bottomless blue water lake does not have any fish due to the volcanic gasses. The boat tour was great and informative.
  • By Joel Võsu
    Perfect for hiking! 12km around the lake. About 500m ascent. The trail is well maintained and clean.
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