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Lake San Pablo: Adventure Time

Lake San Pablo Featured Image

Lake San Pablo is located at the foot of the Imbabura volcano, at an altitude of 2,700 meters above sea level. It is a beautiful landscape where high-altitude water sports are practiced.


Adventure, nature, freedom, and more! The Lake San Pablo is simply amazing! It is known for its indigenous villages and green fields. Also, it is the largest lake in the province of Imbabura, Ecuador, and offers several paths that lead to natural viewpoints such as El Lechero and Mira Lago.

In addition to its refreshing landscape, it delights and distracts with the presence of small sailboats that cross in its placid waters. The lake has the highest concentration of cattails on the east, northeast, and south streams. You can also see eucalyptus, willow trees, and pine forests.

 

And, if you are a bird lover, this is the right place for you. The variety of species that can be found is amazing. From grebes, cormorants, crow ducks, to white herons, coots, hummingbirds, terns, and more, the lake and its surroundings are filled with life.


Lake San Pablo: Synonym of Adventure

For many years, Lake San Pablo has been the home of the famous swimming crossing for the Yamor Festival.  It is organized by the Otavalo Cantonal Sports League, which begins with the preparations several months before the competition. The crossing takes place in the morning, taking advantage of the calm waters.

The participants travel a distance of 3.8 km between the sectors of Araque (departure) and the Muelle Costa Azul (goal). The route lasts approximately 1 hour. Hundreds of swimmers from various provinces of the country such as Pichincha, Manabí, Tungurahua, Azuay, and Imbabura take part in the event. It is the perfect opportunity for men and women of different ages to compete.

San Pablo swimming

The festival begins on August 30 in Otavalo, in gratitude to the harvest and the fertility of mother nature. However, during the whole year, there are many recreational activities include:

  • Hiking
  • Biking
  • Kayaking
  • Or riding horses

Consequently, Lake San Pablo is the perfect combination of adventure and relaxation in a peaceful landscape surrounded by quiet nature


Team Adventure Time

The Rebecca Adventure Travel team went on a December holiday adventure to Lake San Pablo. The trip began early in the morning to take advantage of a day filled with great activities. Firstly, when the team arrived they immerse themselves in nature and did some Kayaking and Paddling. Did you know that these sports can burn up to 500 calories per hour? 

There’s no denying that you can have a great time doing paddling or kayaking, but there are certain categories where they differ from the other. Here are some:

  • Stability: Kayaks are initially more stable, but there is little difference after some practice on a paddle.
  • Learning Curve: Both are easy to learn, but kayaks require specific muscle group endurance that takes time to build.
  • Long Distance Adventures: Kayaks are more comfortable for a longer period of time.
  • Fitness: Kayak is great for arms, but paddling offers full-body workouts.

After a morning of adventure, it was time for lunch. Otavalo is just 5 minutes away from Lake San Pablo. There, you can find many artisanal markets, typical restaurants, and beautiful hotels as Doña Esther, a beautiful place where the team got to recover energy while eating Ecuadorian food

Finally, it was time to return home, but surely, the team was not the same. Their back pages were full of new memories and stories to tell

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.

– Saint Augustine – 

If you are interested to explore Ecuador and its hidden treasures, contact us! Our destination experts are looking forward to speaking to you!

 


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