Ometepe – Day 1: An Infinity-Shaped Island
OMETEPE
Day 1: An Infinity-Shaped Island
January 09, 2023
Once again, I caved to Amelia’s insistence that we take the bus to our next destination. By bus, of course, I mean a taxi to the bus station, a bus to Rivas, a taxi to the ferry, and then the ferry itself which would cross over Lago Cocibolca – saving us some five euros in the process. Again, totally not worth the extra hassle…
When we got to Ometepe, Nelson’s contact was patiently waiting to drive us to our hostel. The ride took around forty minutes – the island being unexpectedly larger than I thought it would be. Apart from its size, its shape is also something of a wonder – an infinity-sign-shaped island with two volcanoes in its loops; the active Concepción in the northern one and the inactive Maderas (featuring a crater lake that gives rise to waterfalls and natural springs) in the southern one.
The isthmus connecting the two isn’t just a road – it also features volcanic, black sandy beaches. Super friggin cool, right? Made me wonder how on earth something like that could be formed naturally. Maybe there really is such a thing as a grand design after all, huh?
Whilst Ometepe is not unique in the sense that it’s an island with two volcanoes in a freshwater volcanic lake, it certainly is the biggest one at 276 square kilometres. If that isn’t cool enough, the views of the two volcanoes with their cloud caps and the viridian forests covering them are sure to leave anyone speechless.
And that’s just about the island’s geography. Adding to the list of cool facts about Ometepe is its history. Ometepe was once home to indigenous peoples who left their mark quite literally on the island’s stones. Scattered across the slopes of Maderas are thousands of petroglyphs – mysterious rock carvings dating back as far as 1000 BC. They depict spirals, animals, and anthropomorphic figures, some of which are thought to represent fertility symbols or astronomical calendars.
Archaeologists believe the island was an important ceremonial centre for the Nahuatl-speaking Nicarao people, who migrated from central Mexico. Ometepe’s twin volcanoes themselves were sacred – embodying fire and water, life and death. Even today, some local traditions carry echoes of those beliefs, blending with Catholic rituals after the Spanish conquest. Cool, cool.
Jungle Roads and Rural Vibes
Once we reached our hostel in the southern ring – tucked away in the middle of nowhere in the jungle – we quickly settled in and then left in a rush, having been starving since we’d left Granada.
The ring road, to me, was a classic rural Latin American setting – surrounded by vegetation and dotted with colourful single-storey houses with corrugated iron roofs and barred windows. Cattle, pigs and chickens wandered across the road, unfazed by the motorbikes and scooters speeding by, while locals went about their idyllic lives as usual. “This is just like Africa!” Amelia told me as we walked on, trying to find somewhere to eat.
She seemed unimpressed, and admittedly, so was I. For some reason, I had been expecting another Lake Atitlán, and this was far from it. The lake’s greenish water contrasted starkly with the azure blue of Atitlán, and here, the vibe was one of tranquillity rather than vibrance.
El Pital: Chocolate and Chill
We made our way to El Pital Chocolate Paradise – one of the most hipster hostels slash chocolate factories where most tourists tend to hang out and join in cacao ceremonies (sometimes mixed with magic mushrooms).
Gotta admit, that place appealed to my inner White Gurl – the fairy lights, the swings, the bean bags, the wooden décor, the cute ceramic hot chocolate cups, everything. And everyone seemed to have the warmest, most welcoming smiles – probably owing to the fact that everyone was as high as a kite. That said, a smile is a smile.
Here we finally got to dine and satisfy our craving for burgers – albeit vegan ones – while gazing at the magnificent view of the sun setting over the Maderas volcano.
If that weren’t enough, we serendipitously scored a contact for some of the island’s local magic produce – yet another first for me. Knowing we’d be having a hectic couple of days, we decided to hold onto them until we could find a time to just chill and relax.