Playa Blanca
A pale sand beach in the mountains.
Petruss — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petruss — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Johan Alzate — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Petruss — CC BY-SA 3.0 · happyuser — CC BY 3.0 · Petruss — CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Tota is the largest natural lake in Colombia, in the east of Boyacá. It covers 55.1 square kilometres, with a length of 11.8 km, a width of 6.2 km and a depth of 58 metres. Its cold blue water is ringed by green hills and onion fields, and its western shore draws many Colombian visitors. The lake was an important religious centre for the Muisca, whose legends tell of its being formed by the hands of ancestors. Some linguists read its name as astronomical observatory and others as farmfields of the river, so there is no agreement. Rainbow trout were introduced to the cold water, harming native fish that have probably died out, and the last confirmed Colombian grebe was seen here. The best-known spot is Playa Blanca, a beach of pale fine sand that surprises anyone who sees it this high up. The water is very cold, averaging 13 °C, so most visitors simply walk and take photographs. The road around the lake gives views from above. Villages nearby such as Aquitania have trout restaurants, and threatened bird species breed here. The beach is 23.2 km in a straight line south of Sogamoso and 27.3 km south-west of Monguí. The weather is cold and changeable even on sunny days and the sun is strong, so bring a jacket and sunscreen. A car is the easiest way around the lake. Leave no litter, as farming and fish farming have affected the lake's health.
A pale sand beach in the mountains.
The lake from above among fields.
Trout in the nearby villages.
Sugamuxi Province, eastern Boyacá
The water is very cold at around 13 °C, so most visitors just walk and take photographs.
A car from Sogamoso is easiest, and local trips are available, so ask in town.