Isla Ometepe, Nicaragua

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Isla Ometepe, an island composed of two volcanoes, emerges from the wind-swept Lake of Nicaragua. Over the northern half of the island looms the majestic and perfectly cone-shaped Concepción, a still active volcanoe, while on the southern half is the dormant Maderas, swathed in a cloud forest and with a mystical lagoon in its crater. The two volcanoes are joined by a thin, flat isthmus, forming the world's largest island in a freshwater lake.

Many travelers come from the Nicaraguan mainland with only a volcano hike on their to-do list but Ometepe has much more to offer. The island is a mesmerizing place, entrenched in history, and full of stunning sights and activities.

Isolated from the rest of Nicaragua by the Cocibolca, the indigenous name for the Lake of Nicaragua, Ometepe feels far away from the rest of the world. Touted as the "Oasis of Peace", the island exudes a magic that is hard to describe. Past Indian inhabitants regarded it as the promised land and also as a sacred island. Chorotega, Nahuatl and Mayans left a multitude of pre-Columbian artefacts spread all over the island, and Ometepe is considered one of the great rock art areas of the world due to the stone idols and many petroglyphs carved on basalt boulders.

The Conquistadores turned the Indians over to Catholizism but many old costums and beliefs were integrated into the Christian faith. On Ometepe they celebrate more religious and folk festivals than anywhere in Nicaragua.

The volcanoes, visible from everywhere on the island, are a powerful and ever-present feature.
The volcanic ash has made the soil extremely fertile and the land yields abundant crops. In recent years many farms have turned over to sustainable farming practices, and several eco-conscious hotels on Ometepe grow their own organic fruit and vegetables.
Tourism is still low-key on most of the island with dormitories and rooms with shared bath rooms.
However, there is a growing number of hotels on Ometepe who offer more comfortable options.
Low-impact eco-tourism is the general trend on Isla Ometepe which in 2010 was designed as a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO. Various NGOs foster rural and communitarian tourism to the mutual benefit of local families and visitors interested in an authentic experience in one of Nicaragua's most intriguing travel destinations.
A further impulse for tourism on Ometepe is the new international airport of Moyogalpa which opened in March 2012.