Ometepe. After navigating our exit from Granada (by driving around and around lots of one-way, no-name streets, Liv asking for directions in Spanish, and then around again), we headed southeast towards Rivas to find the ferry to Ometepe Island. Within one of the largest fresh lakes in Central America, Ometepe is pretty rural and just beginning to attract more attention from tourists. Getting our car on and off the ferry was a mini-adventure that Debbie very much enjoyed. It was our car and that truck.
The lake is surprisingly choppy with a constant wind coming off the volcanos. There are several small towns on the island. The house we stayed in is outside Santa Cruz, about a 45-minute drive from the port. The photos do not show the house well. It was a craftsman style house on the beach, built by an ex-pat American woman who has been living alone in Ometepe for 15 years, driving around on a dirt bike. The house is beautifully-designed with lots of shutters that open to the lake, a constant strong breeze throughout. The owner has a big garden and fed us her coconuts, bananas, lemongrass, ginger and fresh eggs in the morning. Cleo loved playing with the three dogs.
On our first morning, Debbie and I enjoyed coffee and the company of a couple of bathing wild horses. There are horses, cattle and pigs pretty much everywhere. In the morning the horses go to the beach to wash away bugs and dust off.
There is way more to do on the island then we had time for. From exploring different beaches to hiking and waterfalls. We did cram a lot in. Liv and I hiked to the largest waterfall on the island. It was a pretty good steep climb. But once there, we were treated to 200 foot falls and a cool pool.
The four of us went for a spectacular evening kayak through the center of the island, with the sun setting behind the volcanos. We visited a collection of petroglyphs and pottery that have been found through the island, some dating back to 1,300BC.
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