Life is usually better on “the island”
We love island life and love island vibes. We heard about Ometepe’s vibe and wanted to see how it compared to other islands we’ve visited. There were a few months on Thailand’s Koh Mak (Betel Nut Island) in the midst of the first Covid round. Although we never ate betel nuts, we really enjoyed the laid back vibe. If we wanted to go lay on the beach after our remote work was finished, we could!
Turkey has islands too, and we used to day trip over from downtown Istanbul to Büyükada (Big Island) to wander the streets and eat simits. We rode bikes. We popped into some of the small shops whimsically, without a care in the world. (Except maybe for catching the last ferry to the mainland.)
Even when we lived in Maine, we’d kayak out to the Curtis Island Lighthouse, just outside Camden Harbor. While there were no shops or baked goods there, I could always find treasures on the beach, taking my time to run my hands over the smooth pebbles and look for sea glass.
And when we adventured up to Nicaragua in May 2026, we had heard about Ometepe Island. Popular for volcano boarding, sunsets and the natural hot springs, it’s just an hour ferry ride away from the San Jorge dock on Lake Nicaragua. We couldn’t wait to hurry up and get there to slow down. Would Ometepe’s vibe jive with our lifestyle?
It’s just a lake…
But it’s Central America’s largest freshwater lake! And it’s home to bull sharks! They migrated from the Caribbean Sea via the San Juan river and have evolved to thrive out of salt water. That’s fun and scary at the same time.
Lake Nicaragua (aka Lago Colcibolca [the indigenous name] or Mar Dulce [Sweet Sea]) contains over 400 islands, including Ometepe, which has two volcanoes. One of them, Concepción, is still technically active, having erupted in 2007. The other, Maderas, sits dormant, with her last eruption nearly a millennium ago.
Moyogalpa
After a thrilling and choppy ferry ride, we arrived at the dock in Moyogalpa. Social media has portrayed this town as a fun little bustling area, but our timing must have been off. It was quiet – no complaints – and a few places were on vacation for some holiday that just started.
We booked a room for three nights at a place called El Peregrino, having read reviews of the owner’s charming hospitality and personal bicycles he would lend out. We had no idea how necessary the bikes would be until we walked from the dock to the inn. Twenty minutes, three dogs and two stray horses later, we found El Peregrino.
Nothing fast here at El Peregrino
The room seemed simple when we walked in. We knew there was no air conditioning but had high hopes for the wall fan at the foot of the bed. Our expectations were a bit too lofty, and we ended up tossing and turning that first hot night, trying to find a cooler section of the thin, hard mattress.
Then we had no water the following morning. We know this sometimes happens as part of island life, so we took that in stride. However, we also knew we didn’t want to spend extra time striding back and forth to sleepy Moyogalpa every day. And we didn’t want to take this long walk after such hot and fidgety nights.
Nothing much at all, actually
We asked the owner, José, if his bicicletas were available so we could get out and explore. He didn’t have bikes but referred us to a friend who rented them. This friend was frustratingly uncommunicative. Was Ometepe’s vibe going to be too slow to suit us? The unexpected distance from a lackluster town, compounded by a hot, sleepless night led us to leave El Peregrino two days earlier than planned.
We wanted a little more action in our island adventure. Having seen other towns with more excitement and comfort, we moved on to Santa Cruz, closer to the dormant volcano. When we mapped it out, we realized that Ometepe is NOT completely bikeable unless you have an extreme amount of island time. It took a taxi 40 minutes just to drive us from Moyogalpa to Santa Cruz!
The takeaway here: rent an ATV or something motorized if you want to explore more than one or two parts of the islands. Unless you want to spend more than half your time biking, no judgment, just a little jealousy.
Off to the other side of Ometepe
We stayed at El Encanto in Santa Cruz, and the name is entirely accurate. Translating to “the charm” in English, this place fulfilled our needs perfectly: air conditioning, an ATV rental service nearby that actually wanted and respected our business, and air conditioning. Did I say that twice?
Carlos, the owner, was also very charming and hospitable. Living true to Ometepe’s vibe, he sat and chatted with us one night as we waited for dinner at their onsite restaurant. The restaurant has an amazing view of one of the volcanos and we were in awe. Every. Single. Day. And for a dessert treat one night, he shared some coffee liqueur home brew from his private stock.
We went chasing them anyway
Since we were mobile with our ATV, we excitedly set out to hike the San Ramon Waterfall trail one day. It sounded like a nice little hike culminating at a peaceful waterfall in the jungle. We packed some snacks for a picnic and wore our swimsuits so we could frolic in the fresh, mountain water.
*Know before you go: Entry is 100 Cordobas (~$3 US) per person and 50 Cordobas (~$1.50 US) to park. There are two spots you can start your hike from: the lower parking lot just inside the gate or, if you have a 4×4 vehicle, you can drive up the rutted, bumpy road to the upper parking lot.
Google says the lower lot takes 2 hours each way and the upper lot almost cuts it in half, depending on your fitness level and how much you want to “doop de doo” along the way. We’re big doop de doo-ers, especially when we’re in a new country with different flora and fauna to ogle.
Try to hide your excitement
The hike took us about 45 minutes with a range of altitude changes. Near the top, there’s a steep staircase section with a mostly-helpful railing made of rope. Overall the terrain wasn’t too challenging and the waterfall was… cute.
When we went in May, the waterfall was more of a water-trickle. But what it lacked in size, it made up for in comfort. Its cool temperature refreshed us after our sweaty jungle walk. Staying true to Ometepe’s vibe, the waterfall might have looked small but it still delivered what we needed.
On our way back down, we looked for a geocache near the upper parking lot. Howler monkeys were migrating around us and their throaty hoots were an encouragement to find the cache quickly. (Don’t worry, howlers don’t hurt you. They just sound intimidating.) Unfortunately, a heavy rain also started up so we couldn’t stay long enough to find the cache.
Let’s gooooo!
After San Ramon, we continued on our ATV adventure around Maderas (the dormant one) and just looked at the scenery. And we became the scenery. Ometepe’s vibe is relaxed but curious. We puttered through some small, rustic villages and the locals would stop what they were doing and wave. We went the whole way around this side of the island, eventually finding our way to El Pital, the self-touted chocolate paradise.
If you know us, you know at least one of us has a sweet tooth. We don’t need to name any names. After a day of bouncing around on the bumpy ATV and hiking up 5000 ft – it wasn’t really that high – a chocolate treat can sound like a great idea. So great, in fact, that we indulged at the paradise twice while we were on Ometepe.
El Pital IS paradise…
…especially for a conflicted girl with a sweet tooth AND a later-in-life dairy allergy. Why? Because El Pital is 99% plant-based! If you haven’t clicked on the link above, PLEASE do, so you can see their menu. On our first visit, we kicked back with smoothies and an appetizer of labneh bread with some dips. The second night we went for dinner and shared a salad and pizza. Chef’s kiss, both days.
The vibe is here a complex mashup of chill hippy with a touch of equal parts blessed-and-deserving expat luck and skill. The view is incredible, the food was some of the best we’ve ever had, and the local monkeys danced in the treetops above our heads with minimal disturbance.
It’s always a good day if you’re kayaking
One thing we do miss in our travels is consistent water access – hence the love of island life – and kayak availability. We hooked up with Caiman’s Tours through Edwin, our ATV contact, and set off for a glorious couple of hours on the water. We doop de doo-ed with our guide Jason, and spotted a handful of caiman and native birds. And chickens.
*Know before you go: a caiman is a wee alligator that will not try to rush your kayak and eat you. The caiman recognize Ometepe’s vibe and are very chill.
Tours run between $12-20 US per person depending on your group size. Tours last around two hours. Bathrooms are available at the shoreline where you get your boat. Ask for a lifejacket if you want one.
We had our EYE on this place for a while
Speaking of water access, we love to soak our old bones in natural springs. Staying true to Ometepe’s vibe, we sought out a primal connection to nature, the natural minerals present in the pools, and the way you can experience culture here. One of Ometepe’s most popular attractions is the Ojo de Agua natural spring. We knew we needed to take a dip, so we took a trip there.
*Know before you go: admission per person is $10 US but that includes a $5 voucher you can use at their restaurant once you get inside for snacks or drinks. While cards are accepted here, cash is preferred. Parking is free.
There are two large pools inside: one on the left with a cliff-jumping situation at the far end and relaxing swings slightly submerged, and the one to the right, with no accoutrements. We lounged in that one because it was quieter. The younger set favored the more exciting pool to the left so we happily chose the right.
Ometepe overall
Island life continues to suit us well. We wandered, we adventured, and we did it all in our own time. Before we knew it, our short stay on Ometepe was over and we had to pack up and head to the mainland, chicken bus-bound to Granada. Not gonna lie, we were a little sad to leave Ometepe’s vibe.
