In southern Colombia the town of Pasto lies 250 miles north of the equator, high in the Andes at an altitude of 7,000 feet above sea level. Just 12 miles outside of town is Lake Cocha or Laguna de la Cocha. It is one of Colombia’s largest and most beautiful lakes. It is also one of the Andean water reserves and a birthplace of the Amazon river.
The port town is popular with Colombian tourists who come to enjoy the enchanting wooden chalets, narrow canals, rickety bridges and brightly painted boats. The village, El Puerto, sits on wetlands at the mouth of the river Rio Encano in the Andean rainforest.
Located on the eastern side of the Andes mountain range, the lake receives its water from several streams and rivers coming from glaciers located higher up. The water from the lake does not flow to the nearby Pacific Ocean, but travels through the Guamez and Putamayo rivers into the Amazon. La Cocha has been declared a Wetland of International Importance.
Small buses leave Pasto, 13 miles away, taking people to the port on the lake where small motor boats ferry visitors to the island 'El Encano' which is a national park. And according to ancient beliefs Lake La Cocha is also a holy site.
Boats on the canals of Lake Cocha
Boats on the canals of Lake Cocha
The village has been called Colombia's Venice, due to the canals in town and also ' Little Switzerland' due to the affluence of Swiss styles chalets in El Puerto.
The painted wooden chalets have a unique history. According to the locals, 80 years ago the houses didn’t look like they do now. Then in the 1940s a Swiss expat by the name of Walter Sulzer arrived in town.
He was a Swiss was a cook who arrived in Colombia escaping the Second World War. Hired by a local hotel to build some cabins, he used local materials to construct typical Swiss guesthouses. It was a style that was later copied by everyone in town earning it the nickname, "Little Switzerland".
The town is touristy with almost every home along main street serving up lake trout either caught in the lagoon or raised in neighboring trout farms. The trout is either fried or grilled but the best version is trucha ahumada (smoked trout).
Swiss chalets on the canals and boats going to El Cano Island
Jon McInnes is a journalist who has been traveling to Colombia since 1972. He travels to Colombia and other parts of South America yearly and writes for newspapers, food, wine and travel publications. He currently lives between Colombia and Detroit. You can also follow him on facebook and contact him via email at: jonmcinnesjon@gmail.com
Cienaga was named a Pueblo Patrimonio (a historical village) in 2012, one of 17 of the most beautiful, historical villages in Colombia. They are all worth visiting, each one is more beautiful than the last.
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