Mojanda Lakes

The Mojanda lakes fill the caldera of an extinct volcano at about 3,700 metres above Otavalo: Caricocha, the big male lake, with the smaller Huarmicocha and Yanacocha behind, set in open paramo of tussock grass and cushion plants with the peak of Fuya Fuya at 4,263 metres rising from the rim. The cobbled road up from Otavalo ends at the largest lake, and from there trails circle the water and climb Fuya Fuya, a two-hour ascent that is one of the standard acclimatisation climbs in Ecuador, with condors possible overhead. The paramo is cold, wet and frequently in cloud, and clear mornings, with the lakes black beneath the grass, are the reward for going early.

What you actually see

• Three crater lakes in paramo - Caricocha and its smaller companions.
• Fuya Fuya's acclimatisation climb - two hours up from the shore.
• Tussock and cushion paramo - the high grassland ecosystem.
• Condors overhead - sightings possible along the rim.

When to go

June to September for the best chance of clear sky, and mornings always. Half a day, a day with the climb. It is cold at 3,700 metres in any month; bring layers and rain gear.

Honest expectations

Cloud and rain are more common than sun. The altitude bites the unacclimatised. There are no facilities at the lakes. Robberies have occurred on quiet trails in the past; go in company and check locally.

Nearby

Otavalo is below; Cochasqui lies south over the ridge.