Ometepe Island

When I first set out for Ometepe Island I thought I would only be there for 2 days – which quickly turned into 5 days.  I stayed in 3 different towns in the city and each town had its own vibe and its own adventure in store. The island itself is the shape of a figure-8, and was created when two volcanoes erupted near each other.

MOYOGALPA

After 10 days in a small suburb of La Concha, where no one spoke English and you couldn’t find any Lay’s potato chips, Moyogalpa was a treat for 2 days. People were surprised that a tourist was speaking to them in Spanish, and they were pleasantly surprised when I asked for directions, or restaurant recommendations – in short, it’s much more touristy. Despite getting absolutely soaked to the bone on the ferry over and while trying to find my hostel. I met a bunch of amazing, friendly Germans and had a great time hiding from the rain with a bottle of rum. The hostel had a great laid back vibe with beautiful painting – but had an unfortunate bed bug situation when I was there. I was saved by my mosquito net (more on that in another post) and didn’t get any bites – thankfully.

Where I Stayed:
Hopedaje Centrale – $5/night for a dorm bed.

Highlights:
– Playing with a local woman’s pet parrots on the street – they were precious.
– Went to Punta Jesus Maria and got stuck in another crazy rainstorm on the way back, and got a ride back into the town in the back of a truck with a local family who took pity on us soaked tourists.

ALTAGRACIA

After Moyogalpa I took a local bus to Altagracia. It’s the second biggest city on the island, but when I arrived it wasn’t what I expected at all. As much as Moyogalpa was touristy, Altagracia was the opposite. It was a very authentic town with very few tourists. In my hotel, there was myself and one German family – and absolutely no one else. That being said, it was a great chance to practice my Spanish with locals and have some time to myself to be a hermit and blog, eat, and rejuvenate.

Where I Stayed:
Hotel Castillo – $5/night for a hotel room.
(Highly recommend this place if you’re in town. The food is amazing, it’s clean, staff are helpful and not pushy.)

Highlights:
– My hotel room! Yes it was a glorified walk-in closet and tiny BUT I was the only person in it! After sleeping in dorm style rooms, this was luxury my friends. I got to throw my stuff everywhere! Also, it was the most glorious, powerful FAN, directed only at ME. It was quite frankly the best sleep I had on my entire trip to far. I felt nice, dry and cool all night. Heaven.
– I walked to a local beach, Taiguizapa, by myself down a dirt path, passing local farmers heading to their fields with machetes in hand. Once I got to the beach it was incredible, locals use the beach to wash their clothes and bathe, with both volcanos in the distance. I saw the clothes laying out on the rocks to dry, and locals gestured to me to go for a swim or a bath. I’m not going to a lie, I was a little worried walking there on my own, but it was totally safe, the locals were incredibly friendly, and I felt really good about myself for going on this little trek solo.

SANTA CRUZ/BALGUE

After my day of solitude, I was ready to mingle with others again, so I headed to the Santa Cruz/Balgue area which I knew was home a long stretch of hostels. A fellow traveller recommended Zopilote, an eco hostel that offers free yoga classes twice daily, only organic foods, and located 500 metres up the side of a mountainside. Let me tell you – hiking up the steep way to reception with my travel pack was awful (haha). I just kept thinking, This had better f*cking be worth it! The hostel definitely has a hippy vibe, but it was a great experience and the food was delicious – also outdoor showers are always a treat.

Where I Stayed:
Zopilote – $7/night for a dorm bed.

Highlights:
– Hiking up to the San Ramos waterfall. I met an Austrian couple who had rented a car for their time in Nicaragua and brought it over to the island on the ferry, so they drove me and another traveller Natalia to the park entrance where you begin an hour hike to this hidden waterfall oasis. It was worth the sweat, and felt like a hidden gem we had just stumbled upon, instead of a well-known site. The hike up was definitely a challenge for me considering I hadn’t done anything that active in months – and confirmed my decision to not climb one of the volcanoes on the island. As much as it sucks to admit your physical limitations – it’s also important to know your limits. By the end of this year I hope to be a volcano climbing machine – but for now it’s a work in progress.

Just a few snaps below – more pics will be added to the Nicaragua gallery soon.