The area around Lagunas de Mojanda is one of the most popular spots for hiking in the Northern Andes. The lakes are located 17 km from Otavalo and are set in high páramo grassland at an altitude of about 3,500m. A taxi up to the lake from the town costs about $12-$14. Expect to pay another $6-7 per hour if you want the taxi to wait. If you come hiking up here, make sure you take some warm clothes and a windproof jacket – the altitude and the exposure make it a lot colder than sheltered Otavalo.
The road between the lake and the town is itself a nice walk – the cobbled roadway has great views of valleys and passes through several little villages. There’s no transportation up there, so if you walk, you should order a taxi to pick you up at the top (the walk takes five to seven hours with breaks), or be prepared to walk back as well. Some people get a taxi to the top and walk back down. If you do the walk it’s best to go in a group; some parts are isolated and there have been reports of robberies on the route. The lower 6 or 7 km are generally considered to be safer.
There are two main places to stay along this road. On the right hand side, 3 km from town, is the top-end hotel Casa Mojanda. About 1 km further on, on the left, is La Luna, which is more geared to backpackers. Both hotels have great views into the valley.
Once you reach the lake, there are numerous possibilities for hiking. A good hike (well, half hike, half scramble) is from the lakeside, close to where the road stops, up to the top of Fuya Fuya, an extinct volcano – it’s the highest point around the lake, at 4260 and the views from the top are stunning on a clear day.
Another, shorter, walk is to the top of the first hill on the left, as you face the lake from the parking area. You’ll see the trail leading steeply upwards from the lakeside. The climb is steep and takes between 20 to 30 minutes to reach the highest point. From the top, you can make your way along the ridge. Take one of the paths down the hill to the lakeside, from where you can walk back to the parking area.
Although there is a trail around the lake, hiking it in a single day is almost impossible – unless you run. Most people simply walk along the trail for a couple of hours then backtrack. There are also several circular routes that start off on the lakeside trail then bend into the mountains – these can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a full day. Both of the hotels mentioned above can suggest good walking routes and can sometimes arrange tours.