Tucked away in the centre of Lake Nicaragua, Isla de Ometepe offers a quiet escape in the heart of the country, where visitors can sit back to enjoy sleepy island vibes.
Seemingly disconnected from the rest of the world, Ometepe is a fantastic spot for taking a break from your busy travel itinerary to fully immerse in the local culture.
Whether you are looking to climb one of the island’s twin volcanoes rising above the lake or seeking a spot to unwind on a hammock, visitors can begin planning their trip to this beautiful island destination with this traveller’s guide to Ometepe, Nicaragua.
Are you planning a trip to the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes? Check out my complete comprehensive Nicaragua Travel Guide for more tips, tricks, and itineraries.
Getting to Ometepe, Nicaragua
San Jorge port is the primary departure point for most visitors to Isla de Ometepe. Located just 6km east of Rivas, most visitors reach the port via an hour-and-a-half bus ride from Granada or a 30-minute bus from San Juan del Sur. The docks are also about a two-hour drive from the capital city’s international airport in Managua.
Several ferries and boat shuttles from San Jorge Port offer car and passenger transport across Lake Nicaragua to the twin volcanic island. The first ferry starts at 7:00 am, with the final ferry leaving port at 5:45 pm. Check out the Ometepe Ferry Schedule here!
The main ferries all cost about C50 ($1.90 CAD/$1.40 USD) per passenger and about C420 ($15.90 CAD/$11.53 USD) per vehicle. Smaller boats also offer passenger transport between San Jorge and Ometepe for lower rates, including an 11:00 am and 3:30 pm boat for C45 ($1.70 CAD/ $1.24 USD) and a 12:30 and 5:00 pm boat for C35 ( $1.33 CAD/$0.96 USD). The voyage from San Jorge typically takes about an hour to reach the island.
Accommodation Options in Ometepe, Nicaragua
As a quiet, less-touristed island isolated in the center of Lake Nicaragua, Isla de Ometepe offers a much more subtle tourism industry, complete with several fantastic accommodation options. The best part is that the island features nightly rates lower than other cities in the country, offering excellent value for your travel dollar.
Budget travellers visiting the island on a shoestring will find the most cost-effective night stay at the El Zopilote. Located in El Madronal on the northern edge of the Reserva de Biosfera, the El Zopilote offers a single bed in a shared dorm for as little as C210 ($8 CAD/$5.76 USD).
Situated on a permaculture farm, the El Zopilote hostel features sustainable amenities, including shared compost toilets and a farm-to-table restaurant and pizzeria offering a wide selection of delicious meals featuring locally sourced ingredients. The El Zopilote is a fantastic spot for basing your cost-effective exploration of the island.
Those willing to allocate a slightly elevated budget towards a mid-range hotel will find exceptional value at the El Encanto Garden Hotel. Conveniently located along the land bridge connecting the two volcanoes, this breathtaking hotel features awe-inspiring views of the towering volcanos and the ground’s surrounding gardens.
Starting at $43 per night, all rooms at the El Encanto Garden Inn feature private bathrooms, free WIFI, and a mountain or garden view. Also present within the complex is an onsite restaurant with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu and a tour desk offering several offsite excursions.
Featuring an onsite swimming pool, restaurant, and environmentally friendly accommodations, the Totoco Eco-Lodge is the premier luxury stay option on Ometepe. However, with rooms starting at C2,775 ($105 CAD/ $76 USD), the resort-style hotel is still relatively cheap for the value it offers.
Offering several private bungalow and lodge options, every stay at the Totoco Eco-Lodge features private bathrooms with showers, dry compost toilets, and rustic furniture with a fan. As an off-grid retreat, the Totoco Eco-Lodge is a fantastic way to escape from the city to enjoy the quiet island life that Ometepe is famous for.
Things to Do in Ometepe, Nicaragua
Hike a Volcano
As a twin volcanic island, hiking one of the two towering peaks reaching out from Lake Nicaragua is an absolute must when visiting Isla de Ometepe. While both volcanoes offer a beautiful hike, I personally recommend the Maderas Volcano trek for an easier yet unique experience.
Starting from the volcano’s base, the Maderas hike takes approximately 8 hours to complete. The journey passes a series of petroglyphs through the rainforest and often through dense clouds that collect towards the peak before emerging at the volcano’s crater lagoon. If visitors are lucky, the clouds will disperse long enough to enjoy some of the island’s best views.
Alternatively, visitors seeking an even more challenging hike should trek up the slightly higher Volcano Concepcion that forms the other side of the island. This journey requires a longer 10-hour walk and features steeper slopes that make admiring the surrounding landscapes all the more foreboding.
Stay tuned for future Kurt From Canada posts highlighting both of these fantastic hikes. Until then, you can find more information on hiking Ometepe’s twin volcanoes here.
Rent a Motorbike or Scooter
Isla de Ometepe is small. This is fantastic, considering you will want to explore it all. And the easiest way to do this is by renting a motorbike or scooter.
Don’t have experience riding a scooter or motorbike? Don’t stress too much about it. Ometepe’s roads are generally well-maintained and relatively traffic-free, making them very easy to navigate for new riders.
However, while the island’s northern loop is almost entirely paved, the southern circle around Maderas Volcano is entirely dirt roads and is slightly more challenging to traverse, especially on a scooter. Nevertheless, these roads are still manageable, and visitors should not be deterred from the journey.
Several rental companies are found throughout the island willing to loan out motorbikes or scooters to visitors, even those who don’t have the required licenses (although a general driver’s licence is typically required). Motorbikes typically cost about C728 ($28 Cad/ $20 USD) for 12 hours, while scooters cost about the same but for 24 hours.
Relax at Oja de Aqua
Located in the center of Lake Nicaragua, Isla de Ometepe features a tropical climate with plenty of heat and humidity. And since most of the island’s top attractions demand a heightened degree of physical exertion, visitors are near guaranteed to succumb to sweat and fatigue during their stay.
Luckily, the Oja de Aqua offers a fantastic spot for cooling off and relaxing after exploring one of the island’s more daring activities. Surrounded by tropical plants, the natural spring provides a beautiful setting for enjoying the rumoured healing properties of the therapeutic waters.
However, as an idyllic escape from the humid climate, the Oja de Aqua is a very popular site both among travellers and locals. As a result, the spring can become very crowded, especially during the afternoon. Still, visitors can escape the crowds by visiting near when the site opens at 9 am.
Ojo de Agua requires C182 ($7 CAD/ $5 USD) to access and features an onsite restaurant and lockers.
Check out this list for even more fun and exciting things to do in Ometepe, Nicaragua!
Where to Eat in Ometepe, Nicaragua
Most accommodation options on Ometepe offer an onsite restaurant. However, to fully explore the various tastes of the island, I suggest getting away from the hotel diner to experience one of these local restaurants.
Visitors seeking a budget-friendly meal will not be disappointed at the El Picante Mexican Restaurant, located only a short walk from the docks in Moyogalpa. Featuring authentic Mexican dishes, the restaurant may seem like a budget eatery, but it provides for one of the friendliest and most memorable experiences on the island.
Visitors come for the tacos, but they stay for the cocktails and company. After common dinner hours, the El Picante often becomes a social hot spot where visitors can enjoy a beer for less than C26 ($1 CAD)!
Using only locally sourced ingredients, the Café Campestre offers an exploration of local Nicaraguan flavours in a series of international fusion dishes. The restaurant offers a comprehensive menu of appetizers, finger foods, curries, burgers, chorizo, sandwiches, wraps, and more.
The best part is that the Café Campestre menu, while delicious, is still very affordable, with most dishes costing less than C260 ($10 CAD/ $7 USD). The Café also offers delivery on orders over C400.
You wouldn’t expect to find authentic Italian homemade pizza, gnocchi, ravioli, and pasta in the centre of Lake Nicaragua, but that is precisely what Pizza Mediterrannea offers. Featuring a cozy romantic dining experience in the island’s tropical rainforest environment, this restaurant serves some of the best international cuisines on the island, all for under C260 ($10 CAD)!
When to Visit Ometepe, Nicaragua
January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | |
Avg. Temperature | 27°C | 27°C | 28°C | 29°C | 30°C | 29°C | 28°C | 29°C | 29°C | 28°C | 27°C | 27°C |
Avg. Rainfalls | 35mm | 20mm | 15mm | 40mm | 190mm | 240mm | 230mm | 250mm | 235mm | 235mm | 160mm | 70mm |
Temperatures are relatively consistent on Isla de Ometepe throughout the year, averaging about 28 °C. As a result, the island is a viable travel destination year-round, although seasonal rainfalls alter the overall experience throughout the year.
The dry season on Isla de Ometepe runs from mid-November until mid-May, during which time Ometepe experiences little to no rainfall. Therefore, this is a fantastic time to visit the island for optimal weather conditions. However, visitors will find their visit accompanied by many other like-minded tourists.
While most of the island’s rainfall is experienced between June and October, this wet season is still manageable for enjoying Ometepe’s outdoor highlights. A further advantage of travelling during this time is that visitors will escape the crowds of the on-season while enjoying low-season discounts.
However, while Ometepe is fantastic throughout the year, it is essential to consider hiking conditions when visiting during the off-season. While visitors can still climb the island’s volcanoes, the frequent rainfall of the off-season can result in muddy and slippery conditions.
Ometepe, Nicaragua Travel Budget
Accommodation | Food | Transportation | Activity | Total | |
Budget | $8 | $7 | $5 | $5 | 25 CAD |
Mid-Range | $40 | $15 | $20 | $15 | 90 CAD |
Luxury | $100 | $20 | $20 | $25 | 165 CAD |
In a country already famous for its low cost of living, Ometepe is still considered an extremely economically-friendly destination. In fact, those willing to stay in a shared dorm of a hostel can easily get by exploring the island for as little as $15 CAD per day.
While this number is based on the absolute minimum accommodation budget, three basic meals a day, and only free activities and excursions, visitors can add more comfort for a still manageable budget.
For a comfortable experience staying in a hostel but experiencing everything the island offers, I suggest budgeting for about $20 to $30 per day. Alternatively, visitors can opt to treat themselves when visiting the island, and most guests would find it challenging to spend more than $150 a day even when engaging the island’s most lavish accommodation options and restaurants.
Ometepe, Nicaragua Safety Advice
Isla de Ometepe is one of Nicaragua’s most friendly and welcoming destinations. Still, like any destination, visitors should practice caution when visiting. These are some general travel tips for ensuring your safety while visiting the island.
- Transportation: When travelling around the island, make sure to use reputable transportation companies and always wear your seatbelt. Motorbike rentals are popular on the island, but make sure you are experienced in riding before renting one, or at least practice caution when learning to ride.
- Water Safety: If you plan on swimming in the lake, be aware of strong currents and avoid swimming alone. It’s also recommended to wear a life jacket.
- Natural Hazards: Isla de Ometepe is home to two active volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas. It’s important to check with local authorities before hiking to ensure it’s safe to do so.
- Theft: As with any tourist destination, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and keep an eye on your belongings. Avoid wearing expensive jewelry or carrying large amounts of cash.
- Health: It’s recommended to drink bottled water and avoid street food to prevent foodborne illness. Mosquitoes are common on the island, so bring insect repellent and wear long sleeves and pants to prevent mosquito bites.
- Cultural Respect: Isla de Ometepe has a rich history and culture, and it’s important to be respectful of local customs and traditions. Dress modestly when visiting churches or other religious sites, and ask for permission before taking photos of locals.
Popular Day Trips from Ometepe, Nicaragua
Located in the center of Lake Nicaragua, planning a day trip off of Ometepe can be difficult. Luckily, there are some fantastic destinations both on the island and the surrounding waters where visitors can easily lose a day immersing in the picturesque landscapes.
The San Ramon Waterfall Hike
One of the most breathtaking landmarks on Isla de Ometepe, the San Ramon Waterfall is a fantastic day trip to engage in when visiting the island. Starting from San Ramon village along the southern edges of Ometepe, visitors to the falls follow a rigorous hiking trail up Maderas Volcano to the majestic landmark.
The 2-hour hike can be done without a guide. However, the falls are found on private property, and the owners charge a C100 ($4 CAD) to enter. Visitors can also engage a guide or a horseback tour to the falls, but this does require an added fee.
The Rio Istian Kayaking Adventure
One of the best ways to experience the island’s local wildlife is by escaping the busy roads to explore the region along the Rio Istian waterways. Tours start at C1000 ($40 CAD) for a private tour that includes a two-hour exploration led by an informative guide.
Along the way, visitors observe the island’s indigenous populations of howler monkeys, turtles, and caiman while paddling through a wide range of the Ometepe’s foliage-covered aquatic habitats.
Explore the Local Wildlife at Charco Verde
Another fantastic way to get up close with the island’s local wildlife is by exploring the protected nature reserve, Charco Verde. The park requires a small admission fee but includes access to the lake, a black sand beach, and a butterfly garden.
The park’s 35-minute walking trail is a fantastic way to explore everything in the park’s protected borders. This designated path guides visitors through the region’s habitats, where guests can spot various species, including frogs, turtles, and howler monkeys.
Where to Next?
After exploring the breadth of the island’s offerings, visitors exit Isla de Ometepe the same way they arrived — A ferry from Moyogalpa to San Jorge Port. From San Jorge, guests can take a short shuttle to Rivas to hop onto the country’s extensive bus network to get to several destinations within Nicaragua.
As an optional stop along the Central American Gringo Trail, the most common next stops following a stay on the island include following the famous route north to Granada or south to San Juan del Sur. While travellers can take a budget-friendly chicken bus, the more comfortable transport options include shared shuttle services or taxis.
Don’t forget to check out my Granada and San Juan del Sur City Guides for more information on the next legs of the Gringo Trail, or check out my complete Nicaragua Travel Guide for a comprehensive look into everything the land of Lakes and Volcanoes has to offer.