Ometepe: The Promised Land

Ometepe was the promised land for pre-Columbian people searching for a place to settle. Three big migrations came down from Cholula, Mexico’s central area. The word Ometepe comes from the Nahualt language which means ome=two, tepe= volcano. The volcanoes Concepción and Maderas form the island which sits on the Great Nicaragua Lake. The visitor can hike Concepción volcano and find a tropical, dry forest where groups of Capuchin and Howler monkeys make their habitat, do some bird watching of parrots, storks, and trogons. Maderas has a cloud forest, and a crater lagoon on the South side of the island. Ometepe was declared a Natural Reserve in 1983. It became by law a Natural Reserve and a Cultural Patrimony in 1995. Also, Ometepe Island became a Biosphere Preserve by approval of an International Committee of the Organization of the United Nations for Education, Science and Culture (Unesco) on June 2nd, 2010.