Atlas Guru

Popular Topics

Trip Report

Nicaragua: 2-Week Itinerary for Nature Lovers

Discovering the treasures of tropical nature

  • Granada+ 5
  • Granada
  • Granada
  • Nicaragua: 2-Week Itinerary for Nature Lovers
kathi
by kathi
About Me:I'm a passionate traveler who loves to discover nature, connect to people and learn from where I travel to. read more

North AmericaNicaragua11 days / June - July 2023

Highs & Lows

Bubbling lava at a volcano top

Rainy season made it quite wet

Itinerary Overview

I came to Nicaragua on a let's say not so nice start, having a car crash in Honduras and being held at the Nicaragua border overnight for no reason. But what I experienced in two weeks of traveling was worth the struggles. There are plenty of places to explore, many volcanos, lakes, surfing towns and of course Ometepe which is a very big island in a freshwater lake consisting of two volcanos. The landscape is covered in lush forests, the air is nice to breathe and if you want some city life, you can explore Leon and Granada. Here is my 2-Week Itinerary in Nicaragua for those who love nature.

  • 5 Nights: Granada
  • 6 Nights: Ometepe
Granada - null
1

Granada

Granada - null - null
Granada - null - null
Granada - null - null1+

Granada is a lovely colonial style town from where you can do nice trips to the lakes, volcanoes, hiking, or just enjoy the town itself. There is a chocolate museum that is worth to see. It's very nice that they have patios in almost every house and of course in the hostels and cafés as well. The garden cafe for example is really nice. My highlight was Volcano Masaya where you can see the lava bubbling from above the crater. There is another crater next to it so you can hike between the two and enjoy amazing views. Many travelers go to the famous treehouse party in the jungle near to Granada. I didn't particularly enjoy the party but the location is nice and it was very interesting to do their village tour on Friday morning because you get so much background information about the country and the people that otherwise you'll never know about. 

Ometepe - null
2

Ometepe

Ometepe - null - null
Ometepe - null - null
Ometepe - null - null1+

Even though it was very rainy when I was there, it was a nice time. I stayed at a permaculture farm and enjoyed it a lot to be so connected to nature, being surrounded by plants, birds and butterflies. They bake amazing pizza twice a week and have community yoga. The frozen chocolate in El Pital is really nice and you can go for a swim there with super beautiful views on the two volcanos. Rent a scooter to explore more of the island and swim in different places. It's surprising how big the island is. And locals are very happy to have a chat and get to know you. It's still quite laid back and didn't feel like mass tourism there at all. 

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have liked to take time to go to the Corn Islands, I heared so many good stories.

  • Anything go wrong during the trip?

    Due to the rain, I didn't explore or hike much on Ometepe. But I still enjoyed what I saw and experienced. Sometimes less is more!

  • Restaurant recommendations?

    In Ometepe in Zopilote itself, it's healthy and vegetarian. Also opposite the entrance of Zopilote on the main road, there is a cheap and good local restaurant.

  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Don't come in rainy season.

  • Transportation Tips?

    The local buses are fine but sometimes they have a little mafia thing going on and try to make you take expensive taxis.

  • Any surprises?

    In Nicaragua I encountered so many more rude people, hate, cat calling and scam, it's surprising because I didn't experience this in other Latin American countries so much. Nevertheless there are friendly people of course, especially on Ometepe.

Lodging