|
Nicaragua's
Natural Beauty:
The Islands |
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| OMETEPE ISLAND |
This
unique island has almost a complete package for its visitors, no wonder
why it's becoming so popular lately.
Located on the mid-western area of the great Lake
Cocibolca, Ometepe Island is easily the largest
fresh-water island in the planet at 276 km2. This large island
consists of two volcanoes: The Concepción
& Maderas Volcano.
Ometepe, which means "between two hills"(in
Nahualt language) is part of the department of Rivas
and has a population of little more than 35,000 people.
Ometepe offers many kinds of activities for its visitors. First
of
all, there's the eco-tourism and adventure
activities provided by the dormant Maderas Volcano. On the way up to its
zenith, its visitors can enjoy the freshness of the rich vegatation and
coffee plantations as well as checkout all the kinds of animals living
there. Once at the top, people can enjoy the small lagoon located there
and relax after the exhausting journey.
Second of all, Ometepe Island has many sites for those who like archeology. In
the
local museum, there are all kinds of paintings, monuments, potteries,
carvings, stone idols and ceramics, which are leftovers of the first inhabitants
of the islands, the Nahualt(Aztecs)
and the Niquirano Indians.
Of course, Ometepe also has white-sand beaches provided by the great Lake Cocibolca. Not only that, there also are crystal-clear natural spring waters around.
Located on the mid-western area of the great Lake
Cocibolca, Ometepe Island is easily the largest
fresh-water island in the planet at 276 km2. This large island
consists of two volcanoes: The Concepción
& Maderas Volcano.
Ometepe, which means "between two hills"(in
Nahualt language) is part of the department of Rivas
and has a population of little more than 35,000 people.Ometepe offers many kinds of activities for its visitors. First
)
of
all, there's the eco-tourism and adventure
activities provided by the dormant Maderas Volcano. On the way up to its
zenith, its visitors can enjoy the freshness of the rich vegatation and
coffee plantations as well as checkout all the kinds of animals living
there. Once at the top, people can enjoy the small lagoon located there
and relax after the exhausting journey.Second of all, Ometepe Island has many sites for those who like archeology. In
the
local museum, there are all kinds of paintings, monuments, potteries,
carvings, stone idols and ceramics, which are leftovers of the first inhabitants
of the islands, the Nahualt(Aztecs)
and the Niquirano Indians.Of course, Ometepe also has white-sand beaches provided by the great Lake Cocibolca. Not only that, there also are crystal-clear natural spring waters around.
| >>> check out Ometepe's location |
| THE RIVERS |
Nicaragua has many rivers, most are important to the ecology while others serve as natural borders, and others have a very rich history.
INDIO RIVER
There
are two rivers that are the natural borders with our neighbors: the Coco
River with Honduras and the San Juan River with Costa Rica.Other important ones are: The Escondido River, connecting the city of Bluefields, R.A.A.S, to the main land; "Rio Grande de Matagalpa and Indio River(left); the former one, at some points, flows parallel to the Caribbean Coastline. There's also the Tipitapa River, which connects Lake Xolotlán with Lake Cocibolca.
| SAN JUAN RIVER |
)
This
is the most important river in the country and definitely, is the one
with the richest history. The San Juan River, natural border with our
neighbors to the south, flows nearly 200 km
from its starting point at the southern corner of Lake Nicaragua, to the
Caribbean Sea.The river is extremely important to bio-diversity because it's home to hundreds of birds and animal. An excursion down the river can surely be fulfiling for an ecotourist. In the dense tropical rain forest surrounding it, there are all different kinds of animals such as Chestnut Toucans, Harpy eagles, Jacanas, caimans, red-arrow-frogs, just to mention a few.
)
The
San Juan River's rich history dates as back as the Colonial
Times. Because it connects the Caribbean Sea with Lake Nicaragua
and eventually the Pacific Ocean, it was extremely important to the Spaniards.
That's why they built a fortress in 1635 called "El
Castillo de la Inmaculada Concepción", from where they'd
control the entire traffic of the river and keep out the invaders. Then,
it was used a passageway again during the "Gold
Rush" times to take the gold from California to New York City.
The river was so important that the U.S wanted to build a canal. However,
the Nicaraguan Government didn't agree with what they were offered.)
The
river has so much potential that our neighbors to the south want to take
over it. They claim they have the right to navigate armed on the river,
as if it were theirs. They don't know how wrong they are.EL RIO SAN JUAN ES 100% NICA , ASI QUE DEJEN DE JODER.
That's the end of my Beaches and Nicaragua's Natural Beauty Section. If you've been surfing my Nicaragua website as it was designed, should have already visited my Cities, Volcanoes and this, the Beaches Section. Now, please continue and surf to my newest Section, the Protected Areas with La Máquina Ecological Reserve, El Chocoyero-El Brujo Natural Reserve, Laguna de Apoyo Natural Reserve & Volcán Masaya National Park.
"... SI HAY UNA TIERRA EN TODO EL CONTINENTE, HERMOSA Y VALIENTE, ESA ES MI NACIOOON... SOOOY PURO PINOLERO, NICARAGUENSE POR GRACIA DE DIOOS... SOOY PURO PINOLERO, NICARAGUENSE POR GRACIA DE DIOOS."