Ometepe Travel Guide With Map
TL;DR
Travel Guide to Ometepe Island in Nicaraguas including 12 amazing things to do and a map.
Although no longer hidden, Ometepe undeniably remains a gem in Nicaragua. Despite its popularity among backpackers, the island has retained its rustic charm. It’s the largest island on Lake Nicaragua and it’s towered by not one but two volcanoes.
We fell in love with the island and extended our stay to a full week.
Ometepe Island Travel Guide
Is Ometepe Worth Visiting
We absolutely loved Ometepe and think it’s 100% worth visiting. An island with amazing beaches, sunsets, two volcanoes, great chocolate, and coffee? Yes, please!
Even if you only have a super limited amount of time, we strongly suggest including Ometepe in your Nicaragua itinerary. We have even included it in our Nicaragua 7 day itinerary:
Where to Stay on Ometepe
Ometepe Island is comprised of two parts which are connected by an isthmus. The main town Moyogalpa in the northern part may be convenient and have all the amenities but it’s not really idyllic.
If you want to stay in the more remote areas in the southern part of the island, you need your own scooter or budget a lot of money for taxis.
Where We Stayed on Ometepe
We have personally stayed on both the northern and the southern part of Ometepe and can recommend both our accommodations:
- Northern part: Hostel Life is Good within walking distance from the ferry. Great food and drinks as well as laser fast internet.
- Southern part: Caballito's Mar offers amazing beachfront bungalows at great value but you need a scooter.
Ometepe Map
How to Get to Ometepe Island
Ometepe is an island in Lake Nicaragua hence you have to take a ferry to reach it.
How to Get from Granada to Ometepe
There used to be a direct ferry from Granada to Ometepe but reports of it are nowhere to be found since 2020. Nowadays, you have to go through San Jorge. These are the steps:
- Bus from Granada to Rivas. Head to the Nueva terminal de buses a Rivas (marked on the map). You can walk there. We asked a couple of people but eventually ended up on the right bus. The bus leaves 7 times per day and the journey takes around 2.5 hours.
- Shared taxi from Rivas to the ferry terminal in San Jorge. We were swarmed by taxi drivers and it took us a stressful while to find a shared taxi that was willing to drive us for the fair price of around 1$ per person.
- Ferry from San Jorge to Ometepe. Most boats will go to Moyogalpa and some to San José. Smaller lanchas and bigger ferries are making the crossing. We opted for a ferry both ways. You can just head to the port and buy a ticket, no need to buy in advance. Here’s the ferry schedule.
How to Get from San Juan del Sur to Ometepe
- Bus from San Juan del Sur to Rivas. Buses leave roughly every half hour and take about 45 minutes.
Steps 2. and 3. see above.
How to Get Around Ometepe Island
Let’s start with some real talk: We don’t like riding bikes or scooters. Hence we have tried different options in the beginning. Spoiler alert: Renting a bike is by far the best option on Ometepe.
Walking on Ometepe
In the beginning, we stayed at Hostel Life is Good. It was close enough to the ferry port in Moyogalpa but that was about as far as we were willing to walk.
Buses on Ometepe
Buses on the northern part of Ometepe run roughly every hour between Moyogalpa and Altagracia / Santo Domingo. If you want to make it further to the southern part of the island to Balgue or Merida, there are only 5 buses per day. And for some reason, they take ages. For the 35 km (21 mi) from Moyogalpa to Merida, the bus takes 3 hours. Your earliest possible arrival in Merida by bus is at noon, and your earliest possible departure is 3:30 pm.
Buses on Ometepe are extremely ill-suited for day trips…
Here’s the Ometepe bus schedule.
Taxis and Tuk Tuks on Ometepe
When we planned to visit Punta Jesus María for sunset, we found ourselves with the challenge of the last bus leaving at 5:30 pm.
Hence we decided to rent a tuk-tuk that would bring us there, wait, and take us back. We paid 300 Cordoba (8 USD) which was a great deal.
For our taxi from Moyogalpa to Merida in the southern part of Ometepe we paid 35$ and we soon realised that taxiing around would add up quickly.
Renting a Bike / Scooter on Ometepe
If you’re a budget traveller who wants to explore Ometepe, renting your own scooter is BY FAR your best option. Prices start at 25$ per day.
You can rent scooters and motorbikes here:
Tours on Ometepe
Let’s end with some more real talk: We found two backpackers who were confident enough to ride motorbikes and kind enough to take us on their backs (we still don’t dare to ride ourselves 😅). In case you’re not that lucky, we recommend you go on guided tours to get the most bang for your buck.
How about
- A cultural tour (Punta Jesus Maria, Museum El Ceibo, Laguna Charco Verde, Ojo de Agua, Altagracia)
- A nature tour (Peña Inculta nature reserve, Finca Magdalena and petroglyphs, Ojo de Agua)
12 Things to Do on Ometepe
1. Beaches on Ometepe
We found the best beaches on Ometepe on the Isthmus between the two parts of the island.
On the western side, we loved Playa Mango and its quieter smaller brother Playa Peru. Here, you can find stunning volcano views. We even spotted some horses on the beach. Both beaches have nice restaurants with delicious food and drinks. The sunsets here are out of this world.
On the eastern side, we loved Playa Santa Cruz and Playa Santo Domingo. Both are lovely wide beaches with warm water that invites you to relax. Some small eateries are dotted around the beaches.
2. Kayaking Rio Istian
Kayaking Rio Istian might have been our favourite activity on Ometepe. You start in Lake Nicaragua where you can enjoy volcano views. Once you turn to Rio Istian, you’re in a lush green paradise. You can sport plenty of wildlife here. We saw loads of birds and some caimans.
3. Punta Jesus María
While technically Punta Jesus María is a beach, we think that it deserves an honourable mention because it’s one of the best beaches we have ever seen.
Punta Jesus María is a sand bar with views of both Maderas and Conception volcano. The sunsets here are out of this world.
4. Hike Concepcion Volcano
The hike up Concepcion Volcano is the most popular but also the hardest and longest hike on the island. The volcano is 1,610 meters (5282 feet) high – in fact, it’s the second-highest volcano in Nicaragua! The hike to the top and back takes about 8 to 10 hours.
You do not need a guide for the Conception hike but depending on your skill level, we recommend one. Happy Tours is a very well rated company for the Conception trek.
5. Hike Maderas Volcano
At 1,394 meters (4573 feet), Maderas Volcano is slightly smaller but the hike is also a tough one. The hike takes about 6 to 8 hours and leads through a cloud forest. The hike starts at the petroglyphs at El Porvenir. It ends at the crater lake at the top of the dormant volcano.
Again, you do not need a guide for the Maderas hike but depending on your skill level, we recommend one. Happy Tours is a very well rated company for the Maderas trek.
6. Petroglyphs at El Porvenir
Ometepe Island is famous for its pre-Columbian past and belongs to the great rock art areas of the world. Ancient rock carvings and stone statues have been found all over the island. The early Indians considered the island of Ometepe as their promised land.
The best place to see petroglyphs is Finca Magdalena on the slopes of Maderas Volcano. We loved following the path through the ancient petroglyphs and felt a bit like explorers.
7. El Ceibo Museums
The El Ceibo Museums are dedicated to the pre-Columbian past of Ometepe. It showcases ceramic urns, pottery, and utensils.
The museum has two halls. The first hall hosts a number of pre-Columbian artifacts and the second hall a plethora of coins.
8. Charco Verde Nature Reserve
Charco Verde Nature Reserve spans 20 hectares of tropical dry forest, providing a habitat for a variety of wildlife. At its heart lies the mystical Charco Verde Lagoon, with emerald green waters. A trail around the lagoon leads to a beach offering views of the distant Maderas volcano.
9. El Pital Chocolate Paradise
We love chocolate so of course, we had to visit a place called chocolate paradise. And we have 0 regrets.
On site, there’s a vegan cafe and a hotel. You can also take a chocolate tour or participate in a cacao ceremony.
10. Cascada de San Ramon
We didn’t go here ourselves because the last stretch of the road gets quite bad and we weren’t confident enough on our bikes.
Additionally, we visited in the dry season and other travellers told us that there’s not much water.
According to some online reviews, the 1.5-hour hike to the waterfall is lovely. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall is deep enough for a dip but not for a swim.
11. Ojo de Agua
We didn’t visit Ojo de Agua ourselves because we think 10$ is quite a high entrance fee for Nicaraguan standards.
12. Sunsets on Ometepe
We just had to mention the sunsets on Ometepe because they are easily among the top three we have seen around the world. Every evening, the sky glowed in bright red tones.
Make sure to watch the sunset from the western coast of Ometepe at least once. The picture below was shot in front of our accommodation Caballito's Mar.
How Much Time Do You Need on Ometepe
We recommend spending three full days if you can. Personally, we spent a whole week on Ometepe and didn’t get bored.
If you’re super short in time, you can visit Ometepe as a day trip from Granada.
Where to Eat on Ometepe
These are our favourite restaurants on Ometepe Island:
Around Moyogalpa:
- Hostel Life is Good for an amazing drink selection
- The Cornerhouse for breakfast
- El Picante Mexican Restaurant
Around Merida (both are great for sunset views):
- Caballito's Mar
- Playa Mango
Around Balgue:
- El Pital Chocolate Paradise
- Finca Magdalena for lovely coffee
- Café Campestre
Around Santo Domingo:
- Mirador los Volcanes (OMG the views)
Infrastructure on Ometepe
Moyogalpa is the main town on Ometepe and this is where you’ll find most of the infrastructure.
Internet on Ometepe
If you need a good WiFi connection, we can only recommend Hostel Life is Good. They have a fiber optic connection which worked really well during our stay.
We travelled with a SIM card that worked in most of Central America (check out the Airlao Latamlink eSIM card) but the connection on Ometepe was a bit spotty.
ATMs on Ometepe
You will definitely find ATMs in Moyogalpa.
Others are at Playa Santo Domingo at the Hotel Villa Paraiso as well as in Altagracia at the Servicentro Santa Isabel.
We found that many places also take credit cards but we would still advise you to take sufficient cash with you just in case.
Supermarkets on Ometepe
The biggest supermarkets are in Moyogalpa. You can find smaller shops dotted around the island.
Is Ometepe Safe?
We felt safer on Ometepe than in other parts of Nicaragua (check out our guide for the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua to read about our robbery experience). We also didn’t hear about any bad incidents from other travellers.
Of course, you should always stay aware and be careful – and be extra careful in traffic!
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