January 28th.
Just off the western shores of Lake Nicaragua, lies the island of Ometepe. Formed by the twin volcanoes Concepción and Maderas, the brochure advertises it to be a paradise of lush forests, cascading waterfalls, and black-sand beaches. Offering a captivating blend of raw nature and rich culture. Its history stretches back thousands of years, with ancient petroglyphs and artifacts revealing the presence of early civilizations. Today, Ometepe quietly blends tradition and adventure tourism—locals uphold their agricultural way of life, while visitors come to hike, kayak, and soak in the island’s relaxed charm. It is a place where time seems to slow down, as were only visiting for the day, the kids opted for riding scooters over hiking more volcanoes to waterfalls.
Our early morning boat ride from San Jorge meant we were up at with the birds. We left Bruce at the campground and set off on foot to catch the 7am ferry. Tickets cost 50 Cordoba each, approximately $1.50 Before boarding we’re approached by an enthusiastic man waving a pamphlet at us. He is selling adventure tours over on the island, and one of two scooter rental operations. He takes our name and calls ahead to his partner on the island, who will meet us off the boat and take us to his rental shop, and that’s exactly what happened.
The crossing over was into a stiff headwind, the boat rocked & rolled into the fresh water waves. We were given basic ill fitting life jackets to wear. Each was spray painted with revolutionist Che Guevara’s face, matching the name of the vessel. While still about 1km off shore, they collected them back, so if the boat sank, we’d have to swim for it. Thankfully, no impromptu survival training was required.
Just a couple of months ago, we hadn’t even heard of Ometepe Island. With no idea what to expect, we set off for a day of exploring. Our scooters were waiting for us—fueled up and ready to roll.
The day started off sensibly enough, Tim and I driving, the kids riding on the back. Hitting the dirt roads, the kids wanted a turn and were soon doubling us. And by the end of the day, Tim and I were clinging to one scooter while the kids sped off with the other. Apparently, the student had become the master!
Riding in a figure-eight pattern, we covered all the main roads, only half is paved. Ometepe is home to 40,000 people living a very simple life, hippies and yogis come here for the same reason. Meanwhile, gringos arrive in increasing numbers to hike the volcano, explore waterfalls, freshwater pools and zip-lines. Some, like us, they buzz around on scooters, sporting ridiculously large helmets. We stood out from a mile away as the only ones actually wearing them. Most come on organized tours.
The locals make do with what they can, clearing flat space to build one-room homes with dirt floors, no electricity or running water. Most properties have a well with a bucket tied to a rope, and a hand-cranked wheel. Laundry dries on rocks, bushes, and fences. The animals are uncared for, all skin and bones—there’s no such thing as pet food. Some fruit & vegetables are grown amongst the rocks, but much comes over by boat. Corner kiosks sell chips and soda, with Coca-Cola reigns supreme all across Central America.
For lunch, we stopped at an outdoor Middle Eastern café set under a palapa roof in the jungle. They served the tastiest falafel pita pockets I’ve had in years—fresh, flavorful, and so good we inhaled every last bite way too fast.
Today easily makes the top 10 of our best days so far. The kids loved the freedom and independence of riding. It was interesting to see their personalities come out—Charley immediately went full throttle, while Jaxon was more calculated and tactical. They both learned quickly & nobody crashed.
The plan was to drop off the bikes at 4:30 and catch the last ferry back to the mainland at 5:00pm. But when we got to the port, we found out the last two ferries had been cancelled meaning we were stranded for the night. Ometepe doesn’t exactly have an abundance of accommodation options. Our scooter rental guy offered us a room in his guesthouse for $40 which was within walking distance of the port. Simple but clean, with two well-used queen beds, a toilet, shower, t.v and a fan. It’ll do for the night.
Out the door before first light, we walked to the port and joined a long line of waiting tourists—apparently some had slept outside, unable to find a place for the night. Aiming for the 7am ferry, we managed to get on the 6:30 sailing.
Picked up the laundry that was done for us while we were gone, the lady charged 10 Cordoba per piece. After breakfast we made our way out of town, stopping to pick up a delicious whole bbq cooked chicken from the grill for lunch. Heading 30km back down to the coast to check out the surf town of San Juan del Sur.