The hour long boat ride to this island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua was pretty scary. I really thought la lancha was going to capsize and I disembarked very happy to be on solid ground. Even the more stable ferry on the way back was a rocky ride. Both the ferry and la lancha let passengers off in Moyogolpa, where I hired a driver for the day so that I would not get lost and be sure to hit all the highlights of the island. The two volcanoes that give the island its name are Maderas y Concepción, the latter an active volcano that occasionally spews humo. I asked my guide if he would be afraid of an eruption, he laughed and said that he would not, but that others may. I was like hmm, I feel as though that is not an unreasonable fear.
We first came to el Charco Verde, a green pond that is connected to the Lake in the rainy season. On the walk there we saw a ton of wildlife including howler monkeys in the trees! The sand on the beaches there is black from the ash of the volcano Concepción washed down by the rains. Next we scaled what was supposed to be a short walk but ended up being a 45 minute long trek up a pretty sheer hill. Luckily the wind is so strong that it blows you into the side of the incline for security. My guide told me that to climb the volcano you have to scale the last part on your hands and knees because it is so dangerous. No thank you. The vista from the top of our climb was amazing though!
Lunch at Playa Santo Domingo and a swim in el Ojo de Agua, a beautiful natural spring, finished out the day. My guide was very nice and enthusiastic about his island. We did not speak a word of English the entire day. He asked me where I learned Spanish and if I studied abroad while at university. I said no but that I had classes in high school and a few in college and then practiced when I could. I’ll have to thank Señor Brakel if I ever see him!
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