Granada, Ometepe Island, San Juan Del Sur, Masaya Market, Managua, and Volcanoes
Travel to Nicaragua and experience its highlights with this 8 Day / 7 Night Travel Vacation Package and Tour that includes
There is not a more famous destination inside Nicaragua, with visitors coming from around the world to enjoy its timeless beauty and quiet charm. Granada is also a great jumping off point to visit numerous nature reserves, beaches, and villages in the region. The Island of Ometepe is like no other lake island in the world, and not just because it is the biggest lake island on our planet. It is more remarkable because of its shape, which is formed by two towering volcanoes wrapped in forest. It seems to rise up out of Lake Nicaragua like two magma pyramids to the heavens.
The island houses an extinct volcano and an active one, as well as a very friendly rural population which lives off of banana and sustenance farming. The Maderas Volcano is in the province of Rivas and located on the Island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua. At 1,394 meters above sea level, Maderas is usually draped in mist, the vital liquid of its rich cloud forest reserve.
The Maderas Volcano is the sleepy twin of Concepción and home to a much more diverse and less disturbed flora and fauna that includes healthy populations of howler monkeys and Amazon parrots. There are two popular hikes on the mountain, the first a fairly easy walk up the west side of the volcano through farm land, and then cloud forest ending at a spectacular mountain cascade of more than 40 meters. Average hiking time varies from 1-3 hours up and 1-2 hours down, depending on the starting point. The second option is a summit hike that is muddy and trying, but less physical than the ascent of Concepción. Normal climbing time is 3-5 hours with a 2-4 hour descent. At the summit is a misty, ice-cold crater lake.
This seemingly extinct crater can be accessed by the same rustic but charming lodging on Playa Santo Domingo located 1 hour from the cascade trailhead, and 30 minutes from the summit hike trail. A broad half-moon bay on Nicaragua’s southern Pacific Coast, San Juan del Sur, has long since been discovered by international travelers, and its popularity is by and large well-deserved.
The beautiful bay is good for swimming, though the water is a bit chilly by Nicaraguan standards. There are numerous lodging and eating options along the waterfront, and the town is an excellent base for exploring other lesser known beaches in the region via motorboat. San Juan is 2½ hours from Managua or 2 hours from Granada.
Day 1 – Granada
Managua / Granada Airport greeting and transfer to Granada. Overnight at Hotel Colonial.
Day 2 – Granada
Granada Breakfast at hotel and transfer to Mombacho Volcano for a canopy tour. Afternoon visit to Las Isletas for kayaking in Lake Nicaragua. Breakfast included. Overnight at Hotel Colonial.
Day 3 – Ometepe Island
Granada / Ometepe Island Breakfast at hotel and transfer to San Jorge for the ferry to Ometepe. Dock greeting and transfer to Santo Domingo. Breakfast included. Overnight at Hotel Villa Paraiso.
Day 4 – Ometepe Island
Ometepe Island Morning transfer to Maderas Volcano for hiking. Return to Santo Domingo. Afternoon mountain bike riding to view ancient pre-Columbian petroglyphs. Breakfast included. Overnight at Hotel Villa Paraiso.
Day 5 – San Juan Del Sur
Ometepe Island / San Juan Del Sur Breakfast and transfer to Moyogalpa for the ferry to the mainland. Dock greeting in San Jorge and transfer to San Juan del Sur. Breakfast included. Overnight at the Hotel Piedras y Olas.
Day 6 – San Juan Del Sur
San Juan Del Sur Breakfast at hotel and full day sailing trip on Pacific Ocean with lunch barbecue on Pacific Beach. Breakfast and Lunch included. Overnight at the Hotel Piedras y Olas.
Day 7 – Managua
San Juan Del Sur / Managua Breakfast at hotel and transfer to Market at Masaya. Visit to the Masaya Volcano National Park to hike around the cone of Santiago. Transfer to Managua. Breakfast included. Overnight at Hotel Intercontinental.
Day 8 – Managua
Managua Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to airport for flight home.
Located a half-block from central park, this 27 room hotel is a ground-up restoration of a classic colonial home. The hotel has a great deal of charm with many colonial Nicaraguan touches. The hotel’s high quality rooms are decorated with traditional Nicaraguan art and use four-post beds. Each room has private bath, A/C, telephone, cable TV, swimming pool. The hotel restaurant is for breakfast only. This is very comfortable and charming hotel, one of Granada’s two best.
Hotel Villa Paraíso – Ometepe Island
Hotel Villa Paraiso, located above the Santo Domingo beach on the isthmus between the two volcanoes that make up the island. Truly a paradisiacal location with a year-round breeze off the great lake, many exotic plants and outdoor beach and lake view eating in thatched huts. Owned and operated by an Austrian-Nicaraguan couple, this lodge has great access to attractions on both side of the dual volcano island and a good kitchen with a varied menu. Rooms are simple bungalows made of wood and brick with private bath and surrounded by lush gardens. The complex has 25 cabañas, private bath, A/C and a full menu restaurant. The hotel rooms have no heated water and geckos (harmless, but at times noisy). Ometepe island’s best hotel with the best location.Hotel Piedra y Olas – San Juan Del Sur
Located in the charming village of San Juan del Sur on Nicaragua’s stunning Pacific Coast, Piedras y Olas Hotel and Resort offers a distinctive blend of gracious hospitality, local charm, architectural flair, and community commitment, all within a unique setting that blends harmoniously with the natural environment and local culture. Sophisticated yet relaxed, picturesque and spacious, close to the action yet private and tranquil, Pelican Eyes… Piedras y Olas promises to be your ideal vacation destination in Nicaragua.
Hotel Intercontinental Metrocentro – Manágua
Located in the new center of Managua, next to the country’s biggest shopping center and two blocks from the new cathedral and 20 minutes from the international airport. This is Nicaragua’s newest 5-star hotel and it is in a great location with friendly and efficient service. 157 top quality rooms, private bath, A/C, telephone, cable TV, swimming pool, restaurant, gym, and all the amenities of an international 5 star. Managua’s finest hotel.
- Accommodation:
- 2 nights accommodation at Hotel Colonial in Granada, 2 nights at Hotel Villa Paraiso in Ometepe Island, 2 nights at Hotel Piedras y Olas in San Juan Del Sur and 1 night at Hotel Intercontinental in Managua.
- Tours in Granada:
- Canopy Tour at Mombacho Volcano
- Visit to Las Isletas for kayaking in Lake Nicaragua
- Tours in Ometepe Island:
- Maderas Volcano: hiking mountain bike riding to view ancient pre-Columbian petroglyphs
- Tours in San Juan Del Sur:
- Full day sailing trip on Pacific Ocean with lunch.
- Tours in Managua:
- Visit the Masaya Volcano National Park and the artisan’s market in Masaya city
Observations:
- Transportation:
- Transfers from/to airport and tours in air-conditioned vehicles with your local English speaking expert guide, according itinerary.
- Adventure:
- This is an easy paced trip perfect for anyone.
- Group Size:
- Any group size.
- Staff:
- Local professional bilingual guides will help you during the tours and transfers.