The republic of Nicaragua is located in the middle of Central America, with a land area of 127,517 square kilometers, 16 departments, and 4.5 million inhabitants. The capital is Managua, and 111 kilometers to the south of Managua is the town of Rivas, where ferry transportation to Isla Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua is available. The lake covers 8,157 square kilometers.

ISLA OMETEPE

Isla Ometepe is an island of volcanic origin. There is no precise knowledge of when this beautiful tropical island came into existence in the world’s largest fresh water lake. It is also the only lake in which you will find fresh water sharks and two volcanoes.

The name Ometepe is from the Nahuatl language, the language of the Aztecs, which was spoken widely in Central America in pre Columbian times. The name means two hills, Ome=Two and Tepelth=Hills. The earliest known inhabitants were the Chibcha tribes from the south. Later emigrations brought peoples from Anahuac (the ancient name for the Valley of Mexico). The descendents of the emigrants became the tribes inhabiting our territory at the arrival of the Spaniards: the Chorotega, Nicaraos, Chontales, and others.

The island has an area of approximately 276 square kilometers divided between two municipalities, each with more than 15 districts. The island’s population is approximately 35,000. It has two volcanoes, Conception and Madera. Volcán Conception has a height of 1,620 meters with what is considered to be an almost perfect cone. In addition it offers a rich flora and fauna that one can enjoy and admire while climbing the incredible and majestic slopes. The volcano offers an impressive view from the summit.

Volcán Madera is 1,393 meters in height and is one of the rare volcanoes with a lake in its crater. This very beautiful volcano offers a great diversity of tree species and a great variety of crops that are harvested from this fertile volcanic soil. Coffee and plantains are the major crops, but rice, beans, corn, wheat, and watermelons are among the others grown here.

ARCHAEOLOGY

There is a small museum in Altagracia that replicates sites that were sanctuaries of the indigenous peoples. Two of the most important of these sites are Finca el Porvenir and Magdanela, both on Volcán Madera. There you can see pre-Columbian petroglyphs, or writing on the rocks made by the cultures that made the Aztec calendars found in the grounds of Nicarao. You can also observe the images sculptured in rocks in front of the Catholic Church of Altagracia, representing the gods of our indigenous stories such as the gods of fertility, rain, fire, war, etc.

There are also sites that were indigenous cemeteries, Los Angeles, Espuipulas and Mérida for example. However, our population’s lack of cultural understanding has affected the conservation of our very rich cultural and natural heritage.

FOREST FLORA AND FAUNA

Among the more common animals in our forest we have: white faced monkeys, howler monkeys, deer, squirrels, armadillos, rabbits, foxes, sloth, parrots, pizotes and guardatinajas. There are also a great variety of birds such as the king of Zopilotes, tijeresta, hawks, and garzas. Zanates, hurraca, lora, güis and pigeons of different varieties. The aquatic animals include el Tiburón, pez sierra, sábalo real, róbalo, gaspar, guapote roncador, mojoaras, mojaras tilapias, cangrejos, and others. There are reptiles including el garrobo, cuajipal and lagartijas. The woods in this region are mostly filled with trees of both construction wood and ornamental including el cedro, el pochote, genízaro, guanacaste, guayabón, cortés, guayacán, tempisque, hojoche, laurel, nancitón and others. In the medicinal and ornamental plants are a great variety of orchids, guapinol, giñote, madroño, and roble.

TOURISM

Three quarters of the 276 square kilometers of the island belong to the municipality of Altagracia, making it the largest municipality and the major agricultural-cattle production. This area provides much of the country’s beef and some for export.

Playa Santo Domingo is one of Ometepe’s best white sand beaches in a fresh water lake. Anyone who visits Playa Santo Domingo will appreciate and enjoy the more than three kilometers of beauty and serenity. Another place of interest for tourists would be Punta de Jesus Maria in the region of La Paloma, the lake of Charco Verde in San Jose del Sur. It is famous for a legend that makes it one of the most attractive places because of its connection to del Charco Verde, Chico Largo and Don Emilio Moreno, creator of the legend (the legend cannot be repeated outside of the area; you must visit here and learn of the legend firsthand).

With the development of the new industry, tourism, the municipality in Ometepe, found that its territorial extension of Volcán Maderas volcano was a tourist’ attraction.

The island has many hotel-bar-restaurants, some with the basic conveniences to match a two star quality hotel and others offering more simple accommodations. All offer the hospitality and personal warmth that characterize the island’s residents. In Playa Domingo there are two hotels, Villa Paraiso and Finca Santo Domingo, and a hospitality house, casa Anexo Isitian that are comfortable and affordable.

There are two important ports to access Ometepe, port Mayogalpa and port of Gracias in Altagracia, where electricity and drinking water are available throughout the island.

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