Isla Ometepe’s twin volcanic peaks rise majestically out of the surrounding lake. The narrow strip of land between them creates one island of rich fertile soil, volcanic beaches and a haven for wild life. There is something about Ometepe that draws you in looking for adventure.
To get to Ometepe you need to pass through Rivas then to San Jorge where there is regular boat and ferry services to the island. The main place to stay for travellers is Moyogalapa (where the ferry arrives). Based on recommendations we choose not to stay here and opted for Santa Domingo which is on the narrow land strip between the two islands. We figured this put us in a good location to explore both sides of the island.
Transport around the island is the only issue if wishing to stay further afield, taxis are very expensive and the bus service is infrequent. There are guesthouses, hotels and fincas along the road around the island but you need to know where you’re going beforehand.
To get to Santa Domingo we took the bus to Altagrazia and then too Santa Domingo which took about 2 hours.
Santa Domingo
In Santa Domingo there is a lovely beach and not much else which suited us nicely. If you’re into bird spotting just sit back and relax the birds just come to you. We saw so many different kinds of birds it was amazing.
As Santa Domingo is isolated, to explore the island you really need your own transport. Luckily there is no shortage of vendors offering to rent you bicycles, scooters, motorbikes and quad bikes.
On the first day we hired a bike and explored the nearby sites. First we went in search of Petroglyphs near the hotel El Pourvenir. The Petroglyphs of which there are over 1700 are stone carvings left mysteriously on the island by the pre-Columbian civilisation that once lived here.
In the afternoon we cycled north to find the fantastically beautiful Ojo De Agua which is a fresh water swimming pool built into a small river. This was much needed after a sweaty bike ride.
Around Ometepe
On the second day we wanted to explore further afield and the only way to do this was to hire some wheels. The safest and cheapest option for us was to hire a scooter. It’s questionable how safe they actually are. The usual stories of travellers crashing was confirme during the day when we saw some people receiving medical attention after crashing thier scooter. I have only ever driven a scooter once and that was 10 years ago in Thailand and was hoping not to do the same.
In the morning we set out around volcano Maderas. The paved road ended pretty soon and we were driving along dirt tracks through small villages and banana plantations. The population here live off the land, oxen pull ploughs through the fields and pigs, horses, cows and chickens wander around freely. The houses here are humble and reveal a side of Nicaragua you are unlikely to see in the major tourist destinations.
We planned to hike up the waterfall behind San Ramon or kayak down the Rio Istian but decided exploring the island on the scooter was more fun.
We turned back along the dirt road and went to Santa Cruz and stopped at El Zipotle Bus Shop for a cup of coffee.
In the afternoon we went to Magapolypa for lunch. The island of Ometepe is surprisingly big and it took nearly an hour to get there driving through village after village along paved road. The most dangerous things on the road were the cows that took no notice of traffic and stepped into the road without warning.
The few crazed barking dogs that chased us out of the villages were easily shook off by speeding away! We spent the entire day riding around which was a great way to see the island.
Many people come here to hike the volcanos but it was an easy decision to give it a miss, the tops were almost always covered in cloud and we have climbed enough volcanoes on this trip already.
We had an amazing time just riding around and exploring the enchanting island of Ometepe.
