Experience the best of Ometepe

Ometepe is a volcanic island in Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America, in the south-west of the country. Two volcanoes make up its figure-eight shape: Concepción, a cone of about 1,600 metres that is still active, and the older, forested Maderas, with a crater lake near its top. Ferries cross from the mainland to the main port of Moyogalpa, and small villages and farms fill the land between the peaks.

Ojo de Agua is a spring-fed pool in the forest, and a waterfall on the slopes of Maderas can be reached on foot. Santo Domingo beach lies on the narrow land bridge between the two volcanoes, and a sandy spit at Punta Jesús María pushes out into the lake. Howler monkeys and many birds live in the forest, and carved stone figures from ancient peoples stand in the island museum at Altagracia.

Gallo pinto, rice and beans fried together, fried plantain and lake fish are everyday food, and farms sell coffee, cacao and fruit grown on the volcano slopes. The dry season from December to April is the easiest for climbing and crossing the lake, though winds can stir up the water. Between May and November the island is wet, very green and humid.