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Ometepe Island
Lake Nicaragua is often referred to as ‘the sweet sea’ by locals and is the largest in Central America. Early explorers mistakenly thought that they had reached the Pacific and were awed by the sight of Ometepe Island’s twin volcanoes rising out of the water.
Ometepe has two distinctive volcanoes which were separate islands until an eruption in 1804 created a land bridge. The perfect cone of ‘Volcan Concepción’ rises to 1,610m where clouds hug the summit even on clear days while its lower flanks are covered in protected forest. ‘Volcan Maderas’ is covered in thick jungle all the way to its summit crater at 1,394m.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Below are some examples of what you can do, though we can tailor any itinerary to suit your interests.
Island tour. Full day. A guided 4x4 tour of the island to view traditional daily life, take in some superb views and get an overview of this unique island. There are numerous places of interest such as Charco Verde lagoon, protected forest reserves and curious pre-Columbian petroglyphs carved into ancient stones. Pre-Columbian sites. A survey in the mid-1990s revealed 73 sites with 1,700 petroglyph panels which are thought to be just the tip of the iceberg. A guided visit to any of these carved representations of pagan gods and mysterious symbols is fascinating and curious. Walking, mountain biking and horse riding. There are numerous trails of varying difficulty that run through the island. The lower flanks are rich farming land with traditional village life which gives way to thick jungle as you gain height. You can swim in the lake from several of the islands beaches.
Climb Concepcion Volcano. Full day. This is challenging trek with breathtaking views from the summit. An early start takes you through jungle accompanied by the booming calls of howler monkeys.
Climb Concepcion Maderas. Full day. This trek is slightly less strenuous but still demanding and rewarding. On the way to the summit crater lake you pass through the different eco-systems of tropical wet and dry forest with an impressive and ever present variety of flora and fauna. The summit is covered in one of Nicaragua’s last remaining areas of cloud forest.
Recommended lodges in this area:
Ometepe Island
Situated on the best stretch of beach on the island – Playa Santo Domingo – and with views to the Maderas Volcano, this is the best option on the island. The hotel is located on a small hill overlooking the lake which allows for the lake breeze to pass through
Ometepe Island
Charco Verde is located in the shadows of Concepcion Volcano and is nestled against a lagoon and the lake. The hotel can be split into two categories; the basic rooms and the bungalows. The bungalows are realistically the only option
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