Adventure Travel: Nicaragua
Hello, my name is Michelle Kirst, a recent addition to MCA Travel and I am an Adventure Traveler. My husband and I have been on many adventures and are always on the lookout for our next. Our most recent trip took us to a volcanic island full of monkeys and ancient mystery, then to a perfect crescent shaped bay in a sleepy little fishing village. Finally, we ended up in a charming but eclectic colonial city where we became immersed in its history. If you haven’t guessed yet, our adventure was in Nicaragua.
Isla de Ometepe was perhaps the most educational stop along our journey and getting there is an adventure all of its own. The island lies about an hour’s ferryboat ride toward the center of Lake Nicaragua. A land mass formed by two stunning volcanoes connected by a sandy isthmus where in lies it’s best beach, Playa Santo Domingo. We stayed at the Villa Paraíso hotel located right on Santo Domingo beach. The Paraíso offered a variety of accommodations from modest hotel rooms to cabañas with private bath, TV and air conditioning on the hill overlooking the shore. We opted for one of the cabañas and were not disappointed. The pace of life here imitates the slow and steady breeze blowing in off the lake and the hammock on our front porch was the perfect place to hang between the delicious meals and activities. The level of activity here really depends on the guest. You can layout on the beach and swim in the warmth of the freshwater lake. Tour the island with one of many knowledgeable guides in search of ancient Petra glyphs left behind by the Chorotegas and Niquiranos, a highly organized and advanced culture. Try your hand at fishing from a guided boat for Guapote (rainbow bass), Machaca or Mojarra. But if you are a climber and in top physical form, there are a couple of volcanoes you could try to climb.
Flying nonstop on Taca Airlines from Miami, we rented a four-wheel drive Toyota Terios at the airport in Managua (MGA), because you really need a four-wheel drive here and some experience driving off-road as well. The ferry from San Jorge/Rivas can accommodate your rental car as long as you make a reservation a couple days in advance through either your travel agent or the Villa Paraíso hotel. I would like to add that having our rental car on the island afforded us the freedom to tour and pursue activities independent of the local bus and tour schedules. This is of great importance if your time on the island is limited to only a couple of days.
After an early morning hike through Charco Verde Nature Reserve, in search of monkeys, fishing the lake was our favorite excursion. We left the shores of the hotel Paraíso around 3pm. Just enough time to catch our dinner by trolling the underwater lava beds around an outer island. With a view of the sun setting between the backdrop of the Concepción and Maderas volcanoes we felt at peace with the world.
The next stop was an hour’s drive from the ferry dock at San Jorge, south down the Pan Am highway and across a pot holed mountain pass to a fishing village on the Pacific coast. San Juan del Sur is probably better known to surfers and sailors than the adventure traveler; however, don’t miss out on seeing this gem before the real estate speculators turn it into the next high priced Riviera. Of all the hotel options in the area, Pelican Eyes or Piedras y Olas Hotel was clearly the right choice. Our two-story ocean view casita was very reasonably priced and although we didn’t need the extra bedroom or the gourmet kitchen, it was nice to have a house to roam around in for 4 days. A full service bar and restaurant along with an infinity pool were located only a few steps away from our front door. But the staff’s attention to detail as well their friendly but professional manner was the key ingredient that really made this property shine.
Empty beaches abound and the activities are there for the asking but once again the sport fishing was most memorable. Twenty minutes from the dock we hooked into two separate schools of yellow fin tuna and continued cranking them in until our arms were tired. Then our panga boat captain headed a few miles south along the Costa Rican border. “To the debris line”, he said. Where I boated a four-foot bull Dorado and lost another at the gaff. The hotel chef gladly prepared our catch to order and so ended another of many perfect days in Nicaragua.
Making our way back toward the airport we decided to spend a night in the colonial city of Granada. Arriving at our room at La Gran Francia hotel we had an immediate link to the cities past, which like the hotel dated back to 1524. Stepping out across from the hotel into Granada's Parque Central you can sense a funk this city has. With its many cathedrals and historic buildings painted in brilliant pastels and the sound of horse drawn carriages clipping down the cobble stone streets, you are transported back in time.
Granada was also a perfect jump off point to visit the Masaya Volcano National Park. It was a short drive out of town and allows visitors to drive to the rim of an active volcano. The park staff does insist that you take shelter under your vehicle in the event of an eruption, because the giant fiery boulders spit from the mouth of the volcano will crush you. Like the great American author Helen Keller once wrote, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature”.
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