Isla de Ometepe is an incredible island to visit and escape the hustle and bustle of the mainland of Nicaragua. If you are looking for a place to relax and enjoy the beautiful landscape of Nicaragua than I highly recommend you visit! Trust me you will love it!
Know Before You Go
- Ometepe is an island with limited public transportation options! Thinking that you are just going to walk from one side of the island to the other is NOT realistic. (ie. It took us about 1 hour by scooter from Moyogalpa to Merida)
- Public buses are limited and taxi rides can cost upwards of $30 USD
- Ometepe is an island on the west side of Lago Cocibolca nicknamed “The Sweet Sea” by the Spanish Conqueros.
- Ometepe was formed by two beautiful volcanos, Concepcion (1,647mtrs) and Mederas (1,394mtrs). Volcan Concepcion is an active fire volcano however its last ash eruption was in 2007.
- The only ways to access the island from the mainland as of February 2023 is by ferry from primarily San Jorge to Moyogalpa (has the most ferries) OR San Jorge to San Jose del Sur (only has 2 ferry times).
- If you’re planning to rent a scooter and stay for a few days. I recommend starting your trip around Merida or Balgue. As there a more things to do in those areas!
interesting facts about ometepe
- Population: ~45,000
- Surface Area: 276km2
- Length: 31km
- Monkeys: Mantled howler monkeys, White-Headed Capuchin
- Distance from Mainland (San Jorge): 1 hour ferry ride
- Largest island in the world in a freshwater lake.
How to get to ometepe
Make your way from Rivas to San Jorge Ferry Terminal. This can be done 2 ways:
- Public “Chicken” Bus: Make your way to Rivas Bus Terminal where you will catch one of the many buses to San Jorge Ferry Terminal. Buses usually leave every 30 minutes. Visit centrocoasting.com for more information about this route! They have a GREAT website.
- Taxi from Rivas to San Jorge Ferry Terminal- Cost ~ 100cordoba (I’m sure you can haggle it down a little more) Takes about 15-20 minutes
San jorge ferry terminal
You’ve made it to San Jorge Ferry Terminal! As a “gringo” you will most likely be herded by one of the staff of the ferry operators to purchase tickets to the next ferry going to Moyogalpa. Tickets cost around 50-70 Cordoba per person. You can find the ferry times HERE. Now walk through the gate toward the water. Expect to pay USD $1 pp (a foreigner tax apparently?) Then continue until you’ve reached the ferry and find a spot to rest for 1 hour! This is a cargo ferry so don’t expect anything fancy. If you are prone to sea sickness PLEASE pregame with Dramamine (or your preferred sea sickness medication) because the lake can be very choppy!
7 Fun things to do on ometepe
- Beach Day at the Lake
– Caballito’s Mar (also has a great bar/grill, hotel, AND Great place to watch the sunset)
– Punta Jesus Maria (Great place to watch sunset)
– Santo Domingo
– Playa Mangos - Swimming/Hiking at El Ojos De Agua
– A fresh spring water man-made pool fed by an underground river from Volcan Madera. Crystal clear cool water with a Tarzan rope swing, lots of shaded seats, a bar and restaurant.
– Admission: $10 USD for foreigners ($5 goes toward food/drink from restaurant)
– GREAT hiking trail: Sender La Musacea, Distance: 1.75km, through banana fields and lots of trees! We saw LOTS of monkeys so don’t forget to scan the trees above you!
- Beach Day at the Lake
- Hike to San Ramon Waterfall aka Merida Waterfall
– Entrance Fee: 100pp cordoba + 50 cordoba for scooter
– Distance: 4.5 miles
– Elevation Gain: 1,948 ft Out and back
– Other: Beautiful hike with lots of butterflies, birds, monkeys. I would recommend to start early as it gets hot quickly and it is very humid.
– Parking: The road up to the parking gets a little steep. (I had to hope off and walk up one of the hills because our scooter couldn’t make it). Parking is 2.1 km away from the entrance so KEEP GOING until you can’t go any further via scooter/car. Then that is where the trailhead starts!
– Disclaimer: It is a tough hike up and has some steep sections. Don’t be afraid to turn around whenever you want! But the waterfall is definitely worth it at the end!
- Kayaking to Rio Istian
– You can rent Kayaks at Playa Mangos, Playa El Peru, Caballitos Mar (We rented from Caballitos Mar, since we were staying there, and he quoted us $30 for 3 hours w/guide ($20 for 3 hours w/o guide)
– Beautiful way to experience an untouched region of Ometepe. Gorgeous, lush green trees, water plants and shrubs home to multiple species of birds as well as turtles and caimans.
If you are on the island on Tuesdays or Saturdays then some pizza and a fire show may be something to put on your list of things to do!
- Pizza and Fire Show
– Location: El Zopilote Permaculture Farm/Hostel (Between Balgue and Santa Cruz)
– Time: Pizza starts at 6:30pm, Fire Show starts around 8-8:30pm (Tuesday & Saturday)
– Other: The fire show lasted about 25 minutes and it was awesome to see all the talent with swinging balls of fire and fire sticks tossed into the air! This farm/hostel looks incredible! They have a lot going on at the hostel throughout the week! We didn’t stay here but the hostel/farm looked like fun! Definitely a more rugged “forest” hostel. And they have farm dogs who love hanging out with everyone and vacuum up extra food.
- Visit Punta Jesus Maria
– Location: About 12 minutes driving south of Moyogalpa.
– Time: All day
– Other: A beautiful black sandy beach where you have a panoramic view of Isla Ometepe with incredible views of Volcan Concepcion and Madera. On some days you can see a third volcano, Mombacho, across the lake on the mainland of Nicaragua.
- Visit El Pital Ometepe, Chocolate Paradise
– Location: El Balgue
– Time: All day
– Other: Beautiful hostel, restaurant, Vegan Cacao bar amongst the trees with beautiful views of the lake and volcan concepcion. They serve DELICIOUS smoothies (especially the chocolate one) and focus on sharing quality cacao and sustainable living. They also offer different workshops through the day. Visit Pital, The Chocolate Paradise for more information.
Budget hotels/hostels
- Moyogalpa
–Hospedaje Soma (great staff and great pool to cool off)
–Hostel Life is Good
–Hostal La Casona
–El Peregrino
–Hotel Victoria
-And many more! Check out Booking.com for lots of other options as well - Balgue
–El Bamboo Cabins
–El Guie Hostel
–La Urraca Loca Hostel
–El Zopilote (Pizza & Fire Show)
–El Pital Chocolate Paradise - Merida
–Caballito’s Mar (Amazing Sunsets)
–Hospedaje Los Chocoyos - Other
-LOTS of great options! We used Booking.com and Hostelworld.com to find our accommodations
Scooter Rental
We rented our scooter from Dinarte’s Motorcycle Rental! Awesome and super helpful staff! I would highly recommend this company to anyone wanting to rent scooters/motorcycle/atv!
other recommendations
If you’ve visited Ometepe and have recommendations of things To Do, Accommodations, Restaurants, Events, Rental Companies, Other then PLEASE comment below to share with other travels :)!