The Isla de la Corota Flora Sanctuary, which from a distance looks like the shell of a large turtle about to emerge from the water, is located in the north of Lake Guamués or Laguna de la Cocha, in the department of Nariño in southwestern Colombia. It is a beautiful island full of orchids as nowhere in the whole in the country.
In this publication you will find the information and recommendations you need for your visit to the smallest protected area in Colombia.
Discovering Isla de la Corota Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
La Cocha Lagoon, where is placed Isla de la Corota, is a wetland of international importance declared by the Ramsar Convention, for more information about RAMSAR sites in Colombia click here. The lagoon was formed by tectonic movements and later filled with water from the paramos and surrounding areas. Placed in the middle is Isla de la Corota island, formed million of years ago by volcanic activity, standing out as an immense tortoise shell.
La Cocha Lagoon is the second largest in Colombia and one of the largest in the Andes. Learn more about the lagoons and lakes of Colombia in our entry Top 11 Lakes of Colombia: From the Andes to the Amazon.
Isla de la Corota has a total area of just 0.16 km² and is part of the jurisdiction of the municipality of Pasto, the capital city of Nariño, located in the town El Encano, where El Puerto is located, a picturesque pier surrounded by lodgings and restaurants whose specialty is the preparation of rainbow trout.
The sanctuary is part of the Andean insular lacustrine forest ecosystem, which leads to the formation of a very humid forest and its thermal floor is also very cold, which is why there is constant rainfall in this sector. The oval island is surrounded by a fringe of reeds (Schoenoplectus californicus) and although it is the smallest protected area in the country, it is part of the important and complex environmental system of the Cocha Lagoon.
Cultural Importance of Isla de la Corota
Isla de la Corota is the smallest protected area in the country, for being a wetland of great importance, it is part of the complex environmental system of the Laguna de la Cocha. Its recognition is not only due to its natural value, but also to its cultural and historical value for the indigenous people and traditional doctors.
The island is a source of energy recognized by Putumayo’s indigenous people and traditional doctors. It also has a chapel that is an important pilgrimage site for Catholics, especially during the Feast of the Virgin of Lourdes.
How to get to Isla de la Corota Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
Bogotá – Pasto
Take a 1,5-hours flight from Bogotá to Antonio Nariño Airport (PSO) at Pasto city. Once at the airport, take an approximately 2-hours ride to El Encano Town. At El Encano take an extra 20- minutes boat ride to Isla de la Corota Flora Sanctuary.
What to do in Isla de la Corota Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
You can take a boat tour through the waters of La Cocha, and enjoy hiking and birdwatching activities. Enjoy the nature that embellishes this place. Once there, you will find the Sanctuary has a 500-meter long trail that crosses it from side to side through the dense forest. You will find typical trees of the Andean forest, as well as orchids and ferns that complete a beautiful natural picture.
Hiking
For hiking lovers, this Sanctuary has the El Quiche Trail (550 m, medium difficulty) that crosses the island from north to south through a dense forest of cold thermal floor, and the La Torota Trail (200 m, low difficulty), which allows observing the aquatic ecosystem with its diverse species.
Sara Colmenares holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Ecology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in Botany from the same institution. Her doctoral research focused on palm ecology in the Atlantic Forest, supported by the Rufford Foundation conservation grant.
A published researcher in the Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology and a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), Sara has presented her work at international conferences across Latin America and beyond. She was awarded the COLCIENCIAS “Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda” fellowship, one of Colombia’s most competitive academic distinctions for young researchers.
Sara founded the Sula nature tourism brand in 2018, applying her scientific expertise to develop birding and wildlife experiences across Colombia’s six natural regions. Her fieldwork took her from the cloud forests of the Andes to the Amazon basin, the Pacific coast, and the plains of the Orinoquía. She combined deep ecological knowledge with firsthand experience to create content that is both scientifically accurate and practically useful for nature travelers.
She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the National University of Colombia, where she also taught plant ecophysiology. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English.