Lake Tota and Mongui

The Largest Lake In Colombia And One Of The Highest In South America. Surrounded By Onion Fields, With Playa Blanca, The Town Of Mongui (The National Football Ball And Handicraft Town) And The Paramo De Oceta Above It. · Aquitania, Boyaca

Lake Tota is the largest lake in Colombia, a cold, deep sheet of water sitting at about 3,015 metres in the Boyaca highlands, roughly three hours by road from Bogota and about 45 minutes from Sogamoso. Around it the hills are patched with onion fields, the cebolla larga that supplies half the country, and farms raise rainbow trout that appear on every lakeside menu. The famous white beach of Playa Blanca looks tropical until you touch the water, which is bitterly cold. Muisca legends place a spirit in the lake, and the whole area feels quiet, high and windswept, and the weather can swing from sun to hail within an hour. About 40 kilometres north, Mongui is a tidy colonial town of cobbled streets, a Franciscan monastery and workshops that stitch the country's footballs by hand, with the Paramo de Oceta above it for those who want a hard walk. Dress warm, start early and treat it as two easy days, with trout for lunch, a stitched football as a souvenir and the hot springs of Iza or Paipa on the way back to warm up.

High Andean lake at about 3,015 m near Sogamoso, with the white beach of Playa Blanca and the walled town of Mongui about 40 km to the north, Aquitania, Boyaca, Colombia

The lakeshore, Playa Blanca and the roads around the lake are open at all hours and free to look at. Boat and kayak operators, trout restaurants and the Playa Blanca facilities work mainly in daylight, most days, and busiest at weekends and holidays. In Mongui the streets are always open, while the monastery, museums and ball workshops keep shorter hours and often close on Mondays or midday. Confirm locally before you travel.

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