A Weekend on Ometepe: What to See and Do
Ometepe is an island in the expansive Lake Nicaragua, known for its twin volcanos (Maderas and Concepción).
Concepción is still active and, according to Ometepe’s official website, “could erupt at any moment”. Cool cool..
Volcanos aside, the island is full of lush jungles, abundant wildlife, and all kinds of wild adventures (and mosquitos).
You can easily get to Ometepe from San Juan del Sur by taxi and then ferry, making it the perfect weekend getaway. I personally thought Ometepe is a bit over-rated, but if you missed it, did you even go to Nicaragua?
Planning a trip to Nicaragua? Read about How to Get to San Juan del Sur.
Everything You Need to Know to Visit Ometepe Island
Getting to Ometepe
From San Juan del Sur, take a 45 minute taxi to the ferry terminal in Rivas (around $30), to get on the hour ferry to Moyogalpa. There are tons of taxis on the street by the big mural in San Juan, eager to take you. You can also catch a bus if you want to save some cash.
Once you get the the ferry area in Rivas, you’ll need to buy tickets. If you don’t know where to go, there are usually a lot of people around who can help direct you. Then head down the pier where someone will check your passport and tickets, and you are good to go. Keep your tickets handy though; someone comes around again to check them once the ferry gets moving.
The ferries run pretty much all day, at varying intervals. Check the schedule here.
Once on the island, there are many taxis waiting as you exit the ferry to take you to your hotel or hostel.
Getting Around Ometepe
Taxis around Ometepe can get pricey. Pretty much anywhere you go will be $30, at least that was our experience. The way most people get around is by renting scooters, ATV’s or motorbikes.
But I must warn you about the scooters – they are death traps.
We met so many people who got in scooter accidents on Ometepe, including us (Jack’s arm didn’t fully heal for months). The scooters do not handle well on the dirt roads, of which there are many.
So for that reason, I recommend getting an ATV instead, or a motorbike if you know how to drive one. It might be more expensive than a scooter initially, but it beats getting scratched up (or worse) and paying even more for a damaged scooter.
A motorbike or ATV is the way to go if you want to hit multiple things on the island, as every “attraction” is on a different part of the island.
Genki Travel Health Insurance for digital nomads is one of the only companies that insure scooter accidents. Get your quote now!
The Hippies of Ometepe
There is a hippie-expat community on the island.. like white people with dreads and hula-hoops type of hippies.
On the ferry, I sat behind a German girl with a jewel on her forehead talking about her recent ayahuasca ceremonies, recounting a past-life regression where she saw herself as a soldier in WWII, and doing some kind of aura cleansing ritual with ashes and hand motions.
I cant make this up.
Some of the locals find their presence obtrusive and privileged; trying to project their woke-ness on the native people who are in a totally different situation culturally, financially, etc. They haven’t completely taken over the island (yet), but ‘jewel girl’ seemed to show up everywhere we went.
Anyway, end of rant…
Things to do on Ometepe
Rent ATV’s
If you’re googling “what to do on Ometepe” you’ll probably see a lot of results suggesting renting scooters and riding around the island. But like I said before, do not do that.
A motorbike or ATV handles much better on the dirt roads. If you are still really jones-ing for a scooter, you probably wont die.
Just know I tried to warn you. They are a super fun way to see the island – until they’re not.
Swim at Ojo de Agua
Go for a dip in a natural spring swimming hole. The water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom. And supposedly it’s medicinal as the water comes straight from Volcan Maderas. Relax by the pool with a coco-loco or use the rope swing to jump in Tarzan-style.
There’s also a trail that goes around the property, if you can find it – there’s a map at the front gate where to buy entry to the pools ($3). They tried to make us pay extra for the trail, but you enter the trail near the pools and no one would ever know if you paid extra or not.
For more info see their official website.
Hang with Monkeys at Charco Verde
Charco Verde is a nature preserve, home to all kinds of wildlife. There are hiking trails, access to the lagoon and beach, as well as kayak rentals. Check out the story of the Legend of Charco Verde and it’s lagoon.
Eat Chocolate at El Pital
I absolutely love chocolate. Specifically real, dark chocolate and cacao, which is exactly what this place specializes in.
We ordered the Chocolate Superpower Smoothie which was bomb, but even better was the Raw Snickers. I cant even think about them right now. They were mouthwateringly good.
Everything on the menu is 100% vegan, even the non-chocolate items.
Beware when you are driving there on a scooter. The road gets treacherous and its best to leave the scooter at the top and walk down the rest of the way. This is where we had our unfortunate scooter accident. Luckily no one was critically harmed.
Kayak Through Mangroves
On the west side of the island, where the two volcanos come together, it is possible to explore the river and swamp area with a guided kayak adventure.
You’ll see everything from monkeys to crocodiles to all kinds of colorful birds. Plan to spend 3-4 hours kayaking – talk about an arm workout.
Hike to San Ramon Waterfall
I definitely recommend this hike. The waterfall is stunning (I mean look at that cute little rainbow) and the hike to get there is full of wildlife. We saw a ton of monkeys (and cows).
It takes about 2-2.5 hours to get to the waterfall from the research center (where you pay to enter), but it is worth it. Ignore the distance signs along the trail, they really underestimate how much farther you still have to go.
This is the location of yet another one of our Nicaraguan mishaps. On the way back down the trail (its less of a trail and more like bouldering through a dried up river), I slipped and fell off some rocks and landed in a very shallow pool 4 feet below. Again, luckily no critical injuries (besides Jack’s phone).
We are not accident-prone people I swear, but for some reason in Nicaragua anything bad that could happen, did happen. Funny enough, my worst injury came from tripping over my own feet and falling on the sidewalk a couple days later.
Hike a Volcano
You can actually hike two volcanos. Concepción, “the big one,” is about a 10-hour hike, while Maderas is 8-hours. They are both very technical and difficult to climb, thus it is required to go with a guide.
Concepción boasts 360 views from the top, although it can be very cold and windy. While Maderas has a swimmable lagoon at the top, but the trail is often straight mud. Both volcanos are only accessible during the dry season, so plan accordingly (Dec-Aug).
Where to Stay on Ometepe
Our first night we wanted to stay near Mayogalpa since we took a late afternoon ferry. Hospedaje Soma was a dream.
For dinner, we didn’t have to walk too far down the road to find a restaurant, but in hindsight I wish we ate at Soma, because it turns out their food is delicious. They have an extensive menu, and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
We hung out in the big common area playing Clue with some other travelers all night.
The next two nights we stayed on the other half of the island, at Hotel Congos. We thought we would be closer to the ‘action,’ but the opposite ended up being true. The place itself was nice; little cabins with hammocks sprinkled throughout the property.
But there is nothing else around it. Great for stargazing (like best stars I’ve ever seen), not great for trying to eat dinner or seeing anything. Although, the one place we eventually found was great and run by a lovely family.
If I were to go back, I’d try to stay on the North side of Maderas, or on the East side of Concepción, or at Soma again.
Other Hotels
What to Do for a Weekend on Ometepe, Nicaragua
Between the hippies, the scooter accident, and the water-FALL, we were so ready to get back to San Juan del Sur before anything else could happen that we cut our trip to Ometepe a day short.
If you want to copy what we did (minus the injuries I hope), I’ve outlined our rough itinerary.
Example Itinerary for Ometepe Island
Friday:
| 12pm | Ferry to Ometepe |
| 2pm | Charco Verde |
| 7pm | Dinner at Hospedaje Soma and hang out |
Saturday:
| 9am | Rent ATV’s |
| 10am | Hippie watch at the Santa Cruz Farmers Market |
| 12pm | Ojos de Agua (pool, eat lunch at the restaurant, hike) |
| 4pm | El Pital for chocolatey goodness |
Sunday:
| 9am | Hike to San Ramon Waterfall |
| 2pm | Post-Hike Lunch |
| 3pm | Relax at the hotel Pool |
Monday:
| 10am | Kayak |
| 2pm | Ferry to the Mainland |
We may have left our weekend on Ometepe battered and bruised, but overall, it’s still a win in my book.
And don’t forget your bugspray!
Read next: León Needs to be on Your Nicaraguan Bucket List
