Concepción
A symmetrical cone above the water.
Guillaume Baviere from Uppsala, Sweden — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Guillaume Baviere from Uppsala, Sweden — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Guillaume Baviere from Uppsala, Sweden — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hobbitschuster — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada — CC BY-SA 2.0
Ometepe is the largest island in Lake Nicaragua, made of two volcanoes rising from the water and joined by a low isthmus. Its name means two mountains in Nawat. It covers 276 square km and runs 31 km long, its perfect cone from afar is among the country's finest views, and it is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Ancient peoples lived here, leaving petroglyphs and basalt statues on the slopes of Maderas, the oldest from 300 BC. Pirates raided after the Spanish conquest, driving people to higher ground, and the Spanish settled it at the end of the sixteenth century. Concepción erupted in 1880 and in other years up to 1924, according to sources. To the north-west stands Concepción, an active volcano with a symmetrical cone on a base 16 km wide, its top usually in cloud. To the south-east is Maderas at 1,394 metres, with a crater lake and rainforest. Between them lie plantain fields, cattle and quiet villages, chief among them Altagracia and Moyogalpa with its harbour, and stony shores on a lake that seems endless. The island's mapped point is 13.1 km in a straight line east of Moyogalpa. Ferries usually come from San Jorge on the mainland, so check times and weather. Climbing either volcano is long and hard, so take a guide, start at dawn and carry plenty of water. Some roads are rough, and waves can disrupt the ferry. Do not touch the petroglyphs.
A symmetrical cone above the water.
A crater lake and rainforest.
Old art on the slopes.
Rivas Department, Lake Nicaragua
Two or three, especially if you want to climb a volcano.
Yes, so check its status with your guide before climbing.