After three nights in Granada, the next stop on our Nicaragua trip was three nights on Ometepe Island. If you look at a map, you’ll see that Ometepe is an hourglass-shaped island in Lake Nicaragua formed by two volcanoes separated by a small isthmus. It’s such a unique-looking place that I felt like I just HAD to see it. The island itself is slowly attracting more tourists (mostly the backpacker crowd), but it’s still not a major destination by any means. For those who are willing to make the trek, Ometepe is stunningly beautiful. While it doesn’t offer a luxury experience, it does provide plenty of opportunity for adventure. Looking back, I think it was actually the highlight of our entire trip.

Getting to Ometepe Island

While there is an airstrip on Ometepe it is not currently operating, so the only way to get to Ometepe is by ferry. You can take a car (reservations strongly recommended) or walk on (which is what we did). While ferries depart weekly from Granada, the much more common route is from San Jorge, Rivas (two hours from Managua or one hour, fifteen minutes from Granada).

We arranged to have our newfound taxi friend drive us from Tribal to San Jorge, which was an interestingly scenic route in its own right. From there we took the ferry to Moyogalpa, a ride just over an hour long and surprisingly efficient. Finally, we took our Ometepe guesthouse up on its offer to pick us up in and drive us the 45 minutes to the other side of the island, where our rental motorcycle would be waiting for us at our accommodations. Our driver even waited for us to hit up the ATM and pick up some snacks and wine in town.

Where to Stay on Ometepe Island

I think I mentioned earlier that Ometepe doesn’t exactly offer a luxury experience. No five (or four) star hotels here. I of course researched a ton to find the best option for us. Xalli seemed to be the best choice for a traditional hotel, but neither of us were feeling the hotel vibe on such a distinctive island. Totoco Eco Lodge looked like a relatively comfortable place to stay, complete with a pool overlooking Volcan Concepcion. However, something about Selvista spoke to me. The permaculture farm location paired with extensive resources for travelers made me feel that the owners and team had put a huge effort into creating a special environment, and this was only reiterated in all my interactions (digital and in-person) with Megan, the onsite manager.

We opted to stay in the three-story Jackfruit House, a freestanding unit that was indeed surrounded by jackfruit trees. While the ground floor was pretty basic (open air, concrete floor, hammock), the second floor contained the bedroom and bathroom, and the top floor encompassed a seating area and a deck with incredible volcano views. I wouldn’t recommend the place to everyone (no a/c but plenty of bugs); however it just felt right for the region.

The open kitchen/communal hangout area was just a short walk away; we headed there every morning for coffee, breakfast and a chat with our fellow guests. We were also able to store our wine in the communal fridge and free reign over the selection of local fruits whenever we wanted a snack (note: slicing coconuts open with a machete is much more difficult than it looks).

What to Do on Ometepe Island

With three days we almost got to do everything on our list (without driving ourselves completely crazy). Without further ado:

Concepción Volcano Hike

Reuben and I both enjoy hiking so we of course wanted to trek up some volcanoes while in Nicaragua. One of two volcanoes on Ometepe, Concepción is the higher, longer, harder option. At 1610m, the volcano is still active and we were told that it would take approximately 8 hours to hike the 12km trail roundtrip.

This seemed excessively long to us, but once we got going we realized the reason: this hike is HARD. It’s steep AF and requires a ton of scrambling, plus very careful footwork going down. I actually did much better going up, but was struggling going down, especially toward the end. Despite working out pretty much every day, this hike kicked my ass. Plus, the fog at the top never receded so we basically tortured ourselves to see nothing but mist. I guess we are gluttons for punishment because we were both still glad that we did it.

Maderas Volcano Hike

We were deciding between Concepción and Maderas and obviously chose the former, but Maderas is also supposed to be a beautiful hike. It is also estimated to take nearly 8 hours and requires a guide.

San Ramon Waterfall

Our plan for our second full day was to hike to the San Ramon waterfall, but after putting ourselves through the wringer with Concepción, we decided to treat ourselves to a day off. Plus, my legs were absolute putty, so I’m not sure how we could have even made it to the waterfall (or back, for that matter). It’s still estimated to be a 3-4 hour hike. I guess we will just have to go back.

Ojo de Agua natural pools

Rather than hike two days in a row, we decided to stop by the Ojo de Agua pools that had come recommended. I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting… but it wasn’t this. While the pools did seem more “natural” than a public swimming pool in the U.S., they still felt completely overrun with people–and even more locals than tourists. There was a restaurant and a bar, and the adults were imbibing on beers and rum-spiked coconuts while the kids were gleefully jumping into the pool and splashing each other. The water was refreshing and I did finally decide to indulge in a rum coconut (when in Nicaragua, right?!) but I didn’t feel like spending more than a couple hours at this place.

Dinner at Cafe Campestre

We really tried to venture out more for meals but kept ending up at this expat/backpacker hotspot. While it didn’t offer a “local” experience the food and drinks were total crowd-pleasers.

Sunset at Playa Mangos

On our last night we headed to Playa Mangos for some sunset drinks. I’ll admit I went in with low expectations but I actually loved the place. The service was excellent; the minute we arrived they were proactively helping us to rearrange tables and chairs so we could get the best seating situation possible. The bar wasn’t the most comprehensive by any stretch of the imagination, but as long as we stuck to the basics (beer or rum), the drinks did the job. And the views! Pretty hard to beat sunset over a lake with a volcano on the side.

Overall, Ometepe was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I think that’s part of why I found the experience so rewarding. Between the challenging hike, the spectacular scenery, the rustic yet friendly accommodations, and the easygoing lifestyle, I felt totally blissed out by the end of our stay. Yes, there were some other tourists, but it didn’t feel overly crowded and the locals were still able to live a satisfying life without being pushed out of their homes.

As much as I found myself wishing that there was a more luxurious boutique hotel on the island (just one!), I realize that is a slippery slope to over-tourism in a secluded spot like Ometepe. I guess I’ve become that person who feels lucky enough to have visited before the masses arrive and who hopes that things won’t change (although they obviously are already changing…) It will be interesting to see how tourism evolves in Nicaragua (and Ometepe in particular) in the upcoming years. I can only hope that it retains the same charm.