Ometepe, Nicaragua
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This two-volcano tropical island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua served as the turning point in my adventure through Nicaragua. It was under its cacao trees, bumping along its dirt roads, and deep within its peaceful mangroves that I realized just how rich this trip was becoming. People, place, and possibility were continuously colliding in all of the best ways, and Ometepe wanted to make sure I knew it. Three days on the island stretched to a week as I all but moved into El Pital Chocolate Paradise, syncing with its lakefront rhythms of yoga mornings, afternoon cacao ceremonies, and often an adventure or two whenever I was lucky enough to meet someone willing to let me hop on the back of their scooter. There were so many moments of deep sighs of bliss and the pervasive feeling of wanting to be nowhere else but here. This island caught in a time where dinner is fished from the lake, laundry done in the river, and riding horseback is transport not pastime, showed me that paradise isn’t lost. It’s right here in the presence an island like Ometepe can’t help but pull you into. Here are a few foottracks to follow should you make it to Ometepe’s myth-like shores.
El Transito is a no-frills surf stopover where the main attraction is the waves. Here’s a guide to all the best bites, stays, and things to do in the unassuming Nicaraguan surf town of El Transito.