Ometepe Island
9/10/2009 – 9/14/2009
The towering peaks of Concepcion and Maderas rise above the surface of the expansive Lake Nicaragua to form the largest freshwater-lake island in the world, Ometepe Island. The island is simply the two volcanoes connected by the Istian Isthmus, which formed from the debris of historic eruptions of the two peaks.
Disembarking from the ferry in the dark, we were aggressively greeted by cab drivers that had been contacted by a representative on the ferry who was working the gringo passengers en route. After a brief argument to secure the quoted cab fare, which was still too expensive, we were on our way over the rugged, rocky roads toward the Casa Hotel Istiam, located between the popular destinations of Playa Santa Domingo and the Volcan Maderas. The accommodations at the hotel are modest but reasonably priced at $15 with a helpful and accommodating staff. Turns out our cabdriver, “Gordo,” was also a tour operator on the island so, needless to say, he was very eager to offer guide services to all the hot spots. Knowing that guides are required for each volcano and given the late hour, we took him up on his offer to schedule a guide for the next morning for Maderas.
Hotel Casa Istiam
At 7:00 am, Simeon was there to greet me in the hotel lobby ready for our muddy ascent 1,385 meters up Maderas. The most common route to access that peak is the through the Finca Magdelena, but we accessed the volcano via the El Porvenir route which is a six kilometer one way ascent. The access to the mountain is probably the most scenic part of this hike, passing through rice fields, and by numerous petro glyphs. The vegetation quickly thickens and vistas and viewpoints become non-existent.
Petroglyphs along the trail
View of Concepcion from Maderas – the last viewpoint
The trail is steep, muddy and rugged and culminates with an eventful descent into the crater of Maderas. Inside the crater is a lagoon in which many climbers apparently enjoy a quick dip. However, already finding myself wet and muddy, I did not find the shallow murky waters terribly inviting and simply took a short snack break on the shores while mentally preparing myself for the treacherous return down the hillside. The highlights of the Maderas trek are unquestionably the abundance of white faced and howler monkeys. Encountering these troupes so frequently was quite spectacular and provided a welcome reason to stop and actually look up from the trail, for the poor trail conditions require careful attention to each step.
The trails on Maderas
Howler Monkey on Maderas
The lagoon in Maderas crater
Seven hours later, I was glad to return to our hotel just before a torrential downpour rolled in for the evening. As to whether or not I recommend the Maderas hike, if you are looking for a fitness expedition with high steps and difficult footing or are training for any sort of competitive event which takes place in mud - absolutely. Otherwise the views are limited, the trail conditions poor and it is really a rather strenuous day. My feeling is that the managing agencies of Maderas should tap into some of the requisite guide fees and invest in some serious trial maintenance on this mountain because the resource is rapidly eroding. Reportedly such efforts are in the works, action however remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Rebekah walked to the beach and town of Playa Santa Domingo. The lakeshore here is a dark sand and the facilities are few. However, we met several folks who spent their time on Ometepe solely reading, writing and relaxing on Playa Santa Domingo and left feeling refreshed and satisfied.
Playa Santa Domingo
Because our stay overlapped with the national Independence Day holidays in Nicaragua, the island saw an influx of national tourists and many of the hotels were completely booked. We had to move to the Hotel Playa Santa Martha for $25 per night, located on the opposite (Concepcion) side of the island. This little oasis is situated quietly on the lakeshore, surrounded by agricultural lands and banana plantations with a family staff who could not do enough for us.
The Ranchito at Hotel Playa Santa Martha
Sopa de Verduras!
Two whole fishes!
View of Maderas from Playa Santa Martha
Wildlife on the Playa Santa Martha
Feeling a little unsatisfied with my Maderas trek and being more impressed with the view of Concepcion, we inquired with the hotel staff about the possibility of coordinating a climb for that ascent. After many phone calls to friends of friends, they tracked down a guide named Elmer who was willing to take me in the morning for what seemed to be a rather steep price of $40. Of course guides are required and being only one person, I didn’t have the option of benefitting from a group rate – so somewhat hesitantly I agreed to a 5:00 am pick-up and promptly went to prepare my gear and sleep.
Right on time, the lone headlight of a motorcycle pulled down the driveway of the Santa Martha and Elmer and I were on our way to the town of La Concha. We had to return the bike to the house of its owner, walk to Elmer’s house to collect his gear then were on our way up a little used route to Volcan Concepcion by 5:30 am. The La Concha route is fairly open vegetatively so airflow was ample and the trail was much more open. Once we reached the mountain we scrambled across some old lava flows and huge crevasses to stay on the solid ground areas.
Historic Lava Flows on Concepcion
Crevasses on Concepcion
The views on this climb are spectacular. We reached the 1300 meter point by about 9:30 in the morning. This is the point where most guided tours cease but we attempted to continue to the 1610-meter crater rim. After about 200 meters more, the winds were so great and the hot sulfur steam combined with the cold wind made it very difficult to continue. We reluctantly decided to descend before quite reaching the crater rim. The rapid and constant changing conditions between expansive vistas and cloud white-outs made the journey unique and spectacular. We descended via the Moyagalpa trail, which is a narrower trail through a closed canopy. Along the way we passed several groups on their way up. It seems their much later start was not treating them well, as they were struggling greatly with the heat and humidity. Meanwhile, we were all but finished with the hard parts! The trail conditions on Concepcion were far superior to Maderas, plus the vistas and ecotones on Concepcion are far more satisfying, in my opinion. Although Concepcion is touted as the more difficult climb, I am not sure I agree.
Views from Concepcion
We walked back a short way on the road to Moyagalpa stopping for a cold coke at a little store. After spending a few minutes waiting for a bus, Elmer negotiated with the storeowner to borrow his motorcycle and we were on our way back home. Arriving back at Santa Martha by 1:30 and gazing up at the Concepcion peak, I sure felt as if I had accomplished something on that day!
Post Concepcion
We spent the evening at a festival in the town of Los Angeles, complete with a small town rodeo - really not suitable for the PETA people out there. We did eat an excellent plate of plantains, fried pork and cabbage salad for a most affordable price and drank a few beers with the locals.
Los Angeles Rodeo
I had tried to coordinate a ride with my guide Elmer, but he got waylaid and a series of miscommunications had us way overpaying ($15 dollars for a five minute ride) a local man for what I thought was a free ride. It seems we can’t learn well enough the lesson on clarifying the cost of a ride before you accept one! Public transportation on the island of Ometepe is affordable ($0.75 for a half hour ride) although not always on schedule. Even the tourismo busses are quite reasonable ($2.50 for the same ride), but to seemingly every other cabbie or vendor, light skin is seen as a walking dollar sign. Be warned! The commercialization of the island is on the rise so be prepared to be targeted as a tourist. However, the natural beauty of Ometepe is probably worth these minor hassles.
On our day of departure we hiked from Playa Santa Marta to Charco Verde, another hotel area that has several nature trails, a namesake green lagoon, a restaurant and beach access. This site was very busy with national tourists and it was quite entertaining to observe their celebrations of their national holiday. We dined in the restaurant (interestingly alcohol is served before noon, but not food) and then set out on the lagoon trails for a few howler monkey encounters before making our way to Altagracia and back onto the ferry.
On the trail at Charco Verde
Charco Verde
Concepcion
The towering peaks of Concepcion and Maderas rise above the surface of the expansive Lake Nicaragua to form the largest freshwater-lake island in the world, Ometepe Island. The island is simply the two volcanoes connected by the Istian Isthmus, which formed from the debris of historic eruptions of the two peaks.
Disembarking from the ferry in the dark, we were aggressively greeted by cab drivers that had been contacted by a representative on the ferry who was working the gringo passengers en route. After a brief argument to secure the quoted cab fare, which was still too expensive, we were on our way over the rugged, rocky roads toward the Casa Hotel Istiam, located between the popular destinations of Playa Santa Domingo and the Volcan Maderas. The accommodations at the hotel are modest but reasonably priced at $15 with a helpful and accommodating staff. Turns out our cabdriver, “Gordo,” was also a tour operator on the island so, needless to say, he was very eager to offer guide services to all the hot spots. Knowing that guides are required for each volcano and given the late hour, we took him up on his offer to schedule a guide for the next morning for Maderas.
Hotel Casa Istiam
At 7:00 am, Simeon was there to greet me in the hotel lobby ready for our muddy ascent 1,385 meters up Maderas. The most common route to access that peak is the through the Finca Magdelena, but we accessed the volcano via the El Porvenir route which is a six kilometer one way ascent. The access to the mountain is probably the most scenic part of this hike, passing through rice fields, and by numerous petro glyphs. The vegetation quickly thickens and vistas and viewpoints become non-existent.
Petroglyphs along the trail
View of Concepcion from Maderas – the last viewpoint
The trail is steep, muddy and rugged and culminates with an eventful descent into the crater of Maderas. Inside the crater is a lagoon in which many climbers apparently enjoy a quick dip. However, already finding myself wet and muddy, I did not find the shallow murky waters terribly inviting and simply took a short snack break on the shores while mentally preparing myself for the treacherous return down the hillside. The highlights of the Maderas trek are unquestionably the abundance of white faced and howler monkeys. Encountering these troupes so frequently was quite spectacular and provided a welcome reason to stop and actually look up from the trail, for the poor trail conditions require careful attention to each step.
The trails on Maderas
Howler Monkey on Maderas
The lagoon in Maderas crater
Seven hours later, I was glad to return to our hotel just before a torrential downpour rolled in for the evening. As to whether or not I recommend the Maderas hike, if you are looking for a fitness expedition with high steps and difficult footing or are training for any sort of competitive event which takes place in mud - absolutely. Otherwise the views are limited, the trail conditions poor and it is really a rather strenuous day. My feeling is that the managing agencies of Maderas should tap into some of the requisite guide fees and invest in some serious trial maintenance on this mountain because the resource is rapidly eroding. Reportedly such efforts are in the works, action however remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Rebekah walked to the beach and town of Playa Santa Domingo. The lakeshore here is a dark sand and the facilities are few. However, we met several folks who spent their time on Ometepe solely reading, writing and relaxing on Playa Santa Domingo and left feeling refreshed and satisfied.
Playa Santa Domingo
Because our stay overlapped with the national Independence Day holidays in Nicaragua, the island saw an influx of national tourists and many of the hotels were completely booked. We had to move to the Hotel Playa Santa Martha for $25 per night, located on the opposite (Concepcion) side of the island. This little oasis is situated quietly on the lakeshore, surrounded by agricultural lands and banana plantations with a family staff who could not do enough for us.
The Ranchito at Hotel Playa Santa Martha
Sopa de Verduras!
Two whole fishes!
View of Maderas from Playa Santa Martha
Wildlife on the Playa Santa Martha
Feeling a little unsatisfied with my Maderas trek and being more impressed with the view of Concepcion, we inquired with the hotel staff about the possibility of coordinating a climb for that ascent. After many phone calls to friends of friends, they tracked down a guide named Elmer who was willing to take me in the morning for what seemed to be a rather steep price of $40. Of course guides are required and being only one person, I didn’t have the option of benefitting from a group rate – so somewhat hesitantly I agreed to a 5:00 am pick-up and promptly went to prepare my gear and sleep.
Right on time, the lone headlight of a motorcycle pulled down the driveway of the Santa Martha and Elmer and I were on our way to the town of La Concha. We had to return the bike to the house of its owner, walk to Elmer’s house to collect his gear then were on our way up a little used route to Volcan Concepcion by 5:30 am. The La Concha route is fairly open vegetatively so airflow was ample and the trail was much more open. Once we reached the mountain we scrambled across some old lava flows and huge crevasses to stay on the solid ground areas.
Historic Lava Flows on Concepcion
Crevasses on Concepcion
The views on this climb are spectacular. We reached the 1300 meter point by about 9:30 in the morning. This is the point where most guided tours cease but we attempted to continue to the 1610-meter crater rim. After about 200 meters more, the winds were so great and the hot sulfur steam combined with the cold wind made it very difficult to continue. We reluctantly decided to descend before quite reaching the crater rim. The rapid and constant changing conditions between expansive vistas and cloud white-outs made the journey unique and spectacular. We descended via the Moyagalpa trail, which is a narrower trail through a closed canopy. Along the way we passed several groups on their way up. It seems their much later start was not treating them well, as they were struggling greatly with the heat and humidity. Meanwhile, we were all but finished with the hard parts! The trail conditions on Concepcion were far superior to Maderas, plus the vistas and ecotones on Concepcion are far more satisfying, in my opinion. Although Concepcion is touted as the more difficult climb, I am not sure I agree.
Views from Concepcion
We walked back a short way on the road to Moyagalpa stopping for a cold coke at a little store. After spending a few minutes waiting for a bus, Elmer negotiated with the storeowner to borrow his motorcycle and we were on our way back home. Arriving back at Santa Martha by 1:30 and gazing up at the Concepcion peak, I sure felt as if I had accomplished something on that day!
Post Concepcion
We spent the evening at a festival in the town of Los Angeles, complete with a small town rodeo - really not suitable for the PETA people out there. We did eat an excellent plate of plantains, fried pork and cabbage salad for a most affordable price and drank a few beers with the locals.
Los Angeles Rodeo
I had tried to coordinate a ride with my guide Elmer, but he got waylaid and a series of miscommunications had us way overpaying ($15 dollars for a five minute ride) a local man for what I thought was a free ride. It seems we can’t learn well enough the lesson on clarifying the cost of a ride before you accept one! Public transportation on the island of Ometepe is affordable ($0.75 for a half hour ride) although not always on schedule. Even the tourismo busses are quite reasonable ($2.50 for the same ride), but to seemingly every other cabbie or vendor, light skin is seen as a walking dollar sign. Be warned! The commercialization of the island is on the rise so be prepared to be targeted as a tourist. However, the natural beauty of Ometepe is probably worth these minor hassles.
On our day of departure we hiked from Playa Santa Marta to Charco Verde, another hotel area that has several nature trails, a namesake green lagoon, a restaurant and beach access. This site was very busy with national tourists and it was quite entertaining to observe their celebrations of their national holiday. We dined in the restaurant (interestingly alcohol is served before noon, but not food) and then set out on the lagoon trails for a few howler monkey encounters before making our way to Altagracia and back onto the ferry.
On the trail at Charco Verde
Charco Verde
Concepcion
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