Our Days on Ometepe: A Travel Story from Nicaragua’s Volcano Island
In June 2023 it took a chicken bus, a taxi, a very slow ferry and a shuttle to get to Ometepe, an island made of two volcanoes in the middle of a lake, and live our Ometepe travel story. The island was worth the trip. This is how our days there went, with the waterfall, the swimming pool in the volcano’s view and the two dogs who decided to guide us.
Looking for hotels, ferry times and prices? Read our Ometepe travel guide. This is the story of our days on the island.
Getting to Ometepe
We left Granada on a chicken bus heading to Rivas. After two hours on the bus, a short taxi ride, a very slow ferry and one hour in a shuttle bus, we finally arrived at our destination on Ometepe.
Ometepe is the place where, according to a prophecy, indigenous people had to keep going until they saw two mountains surrounded by water. More exactly, an island created by two volcanoes inside a lake. You don’t find that often, right?
A Rural Island
So, Ometepe is a special place. The main town where the ferry arrives is partly developed by Nicaraguan standards, but the rest of the island has kept a typical rural Nicaraguan style and has somehow avoided being influenced much by tourism. A road is slowly being built, but almost half of the island’s main road is still a dirt road. When you go from Moyogalpa to Balgüe you even drive across the airport landing strip.
We stayed close to Balgüe and tried to do as much as we could by car. Our accommodation was a bit far from the main road and it was not very easy to get around, but we had a beautiful garden and some of the best views of the Concepción volcano. On our side of the island was the Maderas volcano. You can hike both volcanoes, but it is not an easy hike, so we opted for the San Ramón waterfall.
Day 1: Charco Verde, Punta Jesús María and the Waterfall
Before the waterfall we went to Punta Jesús María, a stretch of sand going far into the lake that allows nice views and photos of the two volcanoes. Before that we visited Charco Verde, a small park with a lagoon and a Butterfly Garden. We also had lunch by the lake at the simplest restaurant possible. The portions were large and tasty.
The San Ramón waterfall is a two to three hour hike from the bottom, or you can drive up half way. We did the second, and it was a very fun experience: the road was so steep and rough that a 4×4 was essential, and at times it felt less like driving and more like climbing a mountain with a car. Things became a little less amusing on the way down when the car started making some weird noises and we hoped it would make it safely to the bottom.
From the parking spot it is about one hour on foot, including some climbing. At some point we were not sure where the right path was and lost some time, but we finally made it. As it was getting late and we were alone in a remote gorge, we walked back to the car at a fast pace. It was a beautiful experience, but we would recommend starting much earlier in the day than we did. You can find practical details about your visit of San Ramon waterfall in our travel guide.
Day 2: Ojo de Agua and Totoco
The next day we went to Ojo de Agua. It is a bit similar to the Mexican cenotes, with fresh water creating a large swimming pool. As it was Sunday, the place was full of locals and tourists.
In the afternoon we visited Totoco Ecolodge, which is a 20-minute hike from our accommodation. When we mentioned Totoco, the two guard dogs started barking and jumping on us. At first we thought the friendly dogs were not so friendly anymore, but soon we realised that they understood our plan and were excited to lead the way. They decided to walk with us and protect us on the way. We thought it was probably a fun day trip for them instead of staying around the house, but we were surprised that they do that.
The view from Totoco is even more beautiful, because you can see the volcano and the lake while swimming in their small infinity pool. It was also very quiet up there until our dogs made it clear that we had arrived. They waited until we finished our visit and walked us back down. Well, one of them at least. The other one, Loco, fell asleep instead.
What We Took Away from Ometepe
It was one of those small, unexpected travel experiences that makes a place memorable. Ometepe was not perfect and getting around was sometimes more complicated than we had expected, but we liked its rural character, its scenery and the sense of adventure that came with exploring it. What we also gained is the chance to tell this Ometepe travel story.
Next stop… San Juan del Sur
Planning your own trip? Our Ometepe travel guide has the 10 best things to do, where to stay, ferry times and prices. And if you are coming from Granada, read our Granada travel guide too.
