Hiking the Iguaque Lagoon

The drawback to Colombia is that the country is so beautiful that many perfectly lovely areas often get overlooked. The nation's Boyacá Department is one such place. This highland region near to Bogotá has a rich history (it's the site of a turning point in the war for independence), and it's home to time-warp colonial towns like Villa de Leyva and Tunja. Its rugged highland landscapes also make for great excursions, particularly around Iguaque Lagoon, a lake so abounding in natural beauty that it was declared a sanctuary in 1977. 

A six-hour guided hike follows a scenic path through the Andes near Villa de Leyva. From here the trail winds upwards to Iguaque Lagoon, which sits at a whopping 3,800 meters (12,467 feet). This lake has special significance in Colombia: the ancient indigenous Muisca people believed it to be the origin of all life on earth. Standing among the calm banks of its shores, surrounded by all that natural beauty, it is easy to feel the spiritual energy that the Muisca felt.

What's also interesting about this region is that even slight increases in altitude determine the type of vegetation that grows there, so over the course of a single hike folks can see a wide array of fauna. Everything from moss-covered-trees and ferns to pine forests to frailejones plants—which look like a mix of sunflowers and cactus—exist here. If it's a clear day, the 360° views of the Andean lakes and mountains dotted with farms and villages will be unforgettable.