I am going to start this post without multiple paragraphs praising the incomparable beauty of Ometepe (unless you are comparing it with much more expensive and overly touristy Bali) and without a single mention of just how unprepared we were to traverse Ometepe on scooters, as neither of us possessed any riding skills. But if that’s what you were looking for, go to Part I and enjoy!
Our first stop of the day was “Chocolate Paradise”. When you are already in paradise, there is no harm in upgrading it to chocolate. It’s a chocolate factory, a vegan restaurant, and a hotel, and we were there for an early morning chocolate tour. I really was just looking forward to eating as much chocolate as possible, but ended up learning about numerous health benefits and the rich history of indigenous cacao use in Latin America. Apparently, cacao, the raw form of chocolate, is rich in antioxidants, great for heart health, mood enhancement, cognitive function, skin health, and weight management… but only when consumed in proportions of 70% cacao or more. So, spit out those M&Ms and go get yourself some very dark chocolate if you want those nutrient-rich benefits vital for all your bodily functions. Mesoamerican civilizations considered this sacred plant to be “food of the gods” and used it in religious ceremonies, as currency, and as a medicinal remedy. We learned how the cacao beans are harvested, fermented, dried, roasted, and ground into a paste. But best of all, we got to try it with spices as a spicy, slightly bitter, frothy, ceremonial cacao drink. A long way from overly sweet hot chocolate with an extra sugary hit of marshmallows, it was so good that we ended up purchasing half a kilo of the ceremonial cacao paste to use at home. My only regret is not buying a full kilo, as we have already almost finished it.
Our next stop was at Museo El Ceiba, a full thirty-minute ride to another part of the island. Feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, we rode slowly and cautiously, with a few stops to admire the breathtaking views of the twin volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas, and the lush greenery surrounding them. I was skeptical whether a small-island museum would be worth our time, after all, we’ve been to world-class museums around the world. From the moment the doors opened into the first room, I was paralyzed at the sight of the very first archeological display of pottery. If it wasn’t for the museum guide who accompanied us from room to room, I would have spent a full day there easily. The weapons, stone tools, strange funeral urns, incredible petroglyphs, and all traces of the pre-Hispanic civilization uncovered on this island were fascinating, even without descriptions in English.
As we were riding to Charco Verde, a nature reserve with a lagoon, we made an unplanned stop by a small baseball field with a gorgeous view of a volcano. We noticed a softball game in progress and decided to rest a bit and cheer for the local team. It looked like a local high school girls’ team game, and the bleachers were full of parents watching the game and eating vigoron. There will be another post about Nicaraguan food where we’ll tell you all about the crispy pork glory of this traditional dish, but all you need to know for now is that I started salivating from the smell and kept my eye on the vendor serving up the food as much as I did on the game itself. Thankfully, we weren’t far from Charco Verde nature resort where we planned on having lunch.
After a lunch of shrimp cocktails and some fried plantains, we were ready for a hike and walked around the lagoon, enjoying nature and reading up on local myths from various signs placed around the walking path. We ran into a family of howler monkeys up in the trees, who, unsurprisingly, greeted us with guttural howls, saw all kinds of beautiful birds, and even visited a butterfly sanctuary. There were at least six different types of butterflies awake at the time, including giant green and yellow butterflies I’ve never seen before, pretty flowers, and even a pond full of turtles.
As it was wintertime, the sun set around 6 pm, and we were very hesitant about riding our scooters in the dark (honestly, I didn’t even know how to turn on the headlamp on the scooter and wasn’t looking forward to fumbling around with it). We decided ahead of time to have our scooters parked before darkness set in order to avoid unnecessary stress and drama. And so it was time to start heading back to our resort. We rode back, stopping frequently to take pictures of volcanoes, at small marketplaces, and once to watch a local family net fishing on a small beach.
The next day, we started out early and, after breakfast at the resort and some sightseeing around the island, went to Ojo de Agua. The Ojo de Agua is a natural spring pool filled with fresh clear water from an underground river, flowing from Maderas Volcano. As we were there on a holiday weekend, the place was completely packed with Nicaraguan families visiting from all around the country, but we still managed to snag two pool chairs right by the water. The place reminded me of cenotes we visited in Mexico combined with Cleopatra Pools in Pamukkale, Türkiye. We were lucky that the swimming area was separated into two – one shallow end where all the local families crowded, and one deep area for swimming, which remained almost empty. It was a hot day, and we enjoyed the water and the surrounding nature relatively unbothered in the deep end for a few hours. After lunch, it was time to go kayaking, about a twenty-minute ride to the coast, where all the kayaking rental shops were located.
We decided to kayak in the afternoon to increase our chances of spotting a cayman, a type of crocodile with a long, thin nose common in Central and South America. We rented a kayak and started paddling along the coast of Lake Nicaragua until we reached the mouth of the river, Rio Istián. No more than twenty minutes into our adventure, I turned to Victor and said, “We made a mistake.”
He nodded.
We only had two hours until the sun started to set, and there was no way this would be enough time for us to explore this stunning river and swamp land. As the river meandered inland between two volcanoes, each turn and bend brought new picturesque aquatic gardens into view, with carpets of floating water plants, majestic trees covered in hanging moss, and glimpses of white egrets, ducks, and jacanas. It felt like we suddenly ended up in a magical fairytale land, and I would not have been overly surprised to see a gnome or maybe a unicorn. In the end, we didn’t see any magical creatures or caymans, but we did see more howler monkeys and so many birds. We couldn’t traverse the length of the river and needed to turn back way too soon, as we were running out of daylight. Looking back, we needed a full day for kayaking, another full day relaxing at Ojo de Agua, and probably another full day to visit a local beach. Unfortunately, this was our last day on the island, and we needed to leave the next morning.
As we were riding back to the resort for dinner, I was reflecting on our time on Ometepe. Despite being initially apprehensive of learning to ride scooters, I loved the experience, and we managed to get out unscathed. It was no small feat as we had to share the narrow, winding, and uneven roads full of potholes with pedestrians, bicycles, livestock, and vehicles. In no particular order, here are some of the memorable situations we encountered while riding. A small Capuchin monkey crossed the road right in front of us. Why did the monkey cross the road? To get the empty Coca-Cola bottle from the other side, apparently. A riderless horse, wearing a saddle and bridle, galloping down the main road, randomly appeared in front of us and had us slow down to the horsepower of… one horse… There was no way to pass it as it erratically switched from the right to the left side of the road, sparks flying from underneath its hooves. Eventually, it turned off the main road, and we were able to continue our journey without wondering if we were about to be rammed by a horse. And finally, a drunk man ran out into the road and started spinning with his hands out, as if he was auditioning for the “Sound of Music” opening scene. We managed to ride around him, but honestly, I preferred the galloping horse.
All in all, Ometepe, with its untamed beauty, quiet absurdities, and serene pace, was absolutely unforgettable. And next morning, as the ferry pulled away and the twin volcanoes faded into the morning haze, all I could think was: next time, we’re staying longer. And we’re buying a full kilo of that cacao.
