The wonders of Isla Ometepe, otherwise known as “magical-mystical island”

Volcan Concepcion

From the moment we got to Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua’s figure-eight-shaped island, everything felt magical. The island is anchored by two volcanoes, Volcan Concepcion on the northern part and Volcan Maderas in the south. It is the largest island located in Lake Nicaragua, and the largest volcanic island inside a freshwater lake (thanks, Wikipedia!).

ANOTHER OLD TRAVEL JOURNAL

The Place: Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua (Charco Verde, El Ojo de Agua)

The Dates: March 19-20, 2009

Journal Date: April 30, 2009

“We spent all day getting to Isla Ometepe [from Leon]. … We stayed at Hostal Charco Verde because with just two days, we couldn’t venture too far into the island. As soon as we got there, though, we realized what an amazing place it was (hence the moniker “magical-mystical island”). Island life just has a slow beat to it. Charco Verde was particularly lovely, with warm, shallow beaches. I definitely preferred it to Las Penitas’ wild waves. We went for a walk in the Charco Verde Nature Reserve and not three minutes in encountered wild howler monkeys. We were almost scared.

Day 8, El Ojo de Agua: The day started badly – we waited more than an hour for the local bus. We got to Esquinas and then some passing minivan that was already packed and had 6 people on top of it allowed our group of five to clamber on the roof as well. It was a rickety, fun ride. When we finally got to El Agua, though, it was worth it. Basically a natural spring that some man turned into lovely pools. It ended up being the most happening spot on the island (there were quite a few people there when we were there). …I re-ran into a young American we’d met on top of a minivan. When I found out his group was headed to the southern part of the island to check out the petroglyphs, I attached myself to them.

When we hit the main road, the American said we should hitchhike and just then a truck passed and he stuck out his thumb. To our shock, it stopped. We all got on and had another fun, bumpy ride to a resort with a petroglyph trail. Unfortunately, the glyphs didn’t at all end up being interesting. We began to walk back. The best part was when a truck going back stopped to pick me up just as I was wondering if I’d really have to walk the whole way, including after it got dark (the guide in the truck recognized me from the hostal). So I stood in the back, clutching the railing, watching the remnants of island life go by in the late afternoon. At one point a church procession marched by. It was one of the best times I had. There’s nothing quite like seeing the beautiful world from the back of a pickup truck, Volcan Concepcion to the north and Volcan Maderas to the south. I loved it.”

On the bus to Rivas.

What You Should Know: From Managua we caught a large bus to Rivas (40 cordobas, or $2). Then we took a taxi from Rivas to San Jorge (30 cordobas on the way over, but just 10 on the way back, so bargain a bit), caught the ferry to Moyogalpa (30 cordobas), and then took a bus to Charco Verde.

On Ometepe, the public bus is a little inconsistent in how often it arrives. To get to El Ojo de Agua, keep in mind the bus will go all the way to Altagracia before it goes anywhere else. You can just get off at Esquino (known in the Lonely Planet map as Las Esquinas) and catch another bus or van to El Ojo, which has an entry fee of 40 cordobas. Food is good but a little pricy. Island transportation is slow, but just stick your thumb out and try hitching. Some people ignored us, some gave us rides in their pickup.

As for leaving the island, you don’t have to go all the way back to Moyogalpa to catch a ferry back to San Jorge. There is now an Ometepe ferry that goes to and from San Jorge to San Jose del Sur, which is near Charco Verde. It leaves San Jorge at 9:30 am and 6:30 pm, and leaves San Jose del Sur at 7:30 am and 4:30 pm. Cost is 50 cordobas (compared with 30 cordobas for Moyogalpa). Ferries also leave Altagracia for Granada, but not every day.