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Nicaragua's
Natural Beauty:
The Lakes |
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For very, very good reasons, Nicaragua is nicknamed "The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes". After all, it counts with two huge lakes and and many, many other ones of volcanic origin. These lakes cover an area of roughly 10,000 square kilometers of the total territory. They're very important to the country's economy as well as bio-diversity.
| THE LAKES |
LAKE MANAGUA
Dominating
the view to the north of the capital
city
and an important reference point, Managua is the second
largest lake
in the country at more or less 1,000 km2. At one point, it was a very attractive
lake Managua counted with but that has changed duing the past decades. However,
it seems the situation could improve and the lake could once again be as
beautiful as it once was. '))
During
its golden years, Lake Managua (also
known as Lake Xolotlán) was
the main source of drinking water and a very attractive site where the "managuas"
would go for recreation. In the present, people still do that but it's just
not the same. Since the late '20s, the lake has constantly suffered pollution,
from waste water mostly coming from Managua and industrial factories; floodings
and not to forget deforestation, resulting in the almost total destruction
of this lake. Despite the ugly color of its onces clear water, people still
go to the "malecón" and have a nice time since it has many
attractions like Nicaraguan fast-food restaurants (fritangas),
a museum, a nice view (of
the lake and the surrounding mountains, including the Momotombo Volcano)
and other stuff. Lake Managua is very important to the "managuas" (Managuans). It's a very important reference point people have used since forever, I think. When one says "hacia el lago" (lakebound), they're refering to the north since the lake entirely borders Managua to the north.
The good thing is that the goverment finally decided to do something about it. Now, a rehabilitation plan, sponsered by the central government and international organizations, is currently underway and probably by 2008, it'll once again possess clear and clean water so that the capital city could look a bit more attractive.
| LAKE COCOBOLCA |
Lake
Cocibolca, like the Momotombo
Volcano,
is another symbol of the country and it's certainly the most important natural
beauty Nicaragua counts with. The remarkable lake is extremely important
to the country's economy as well as the bio-diversity and history.At nearly 8,000 Km2, Lake Cocibolca (also known as Lake Nicaragua) is the largest one in Central America, second largest (to Lake Titicaca) in Latinamerica and tenth largest in the planet. It's roughly 160 km long and 72 km wide. But forget about the numbers, this lake is the only place on Earth where fresh-water sharks are found. Not only that, it possesses the largest fresh-water island in the world, Ometepe Island, which is a very unusual island because it has two volcanoes: The Maderas and the Concepción Volcanoes.
'))
This
lake also counts with two major archipelagos. These are: "Isletas
de Granada",
consisting of more than three-hundred little islands, on the lakes's north-western
area; and Solentiname
Archipelago with more than thirty-six islets, on the south-eastern area.
It also has Zapatera Island, which is a very
important archeological site and it's also a National Parks.Lake Cocibolca has a very rich history as well. It was through this lake, and the San Juan River, where millions of people crossed during the gold rush times. And even before that, in the colonial times, it was important to the Spaniards.
| VOLCANIC LAKES |
As mentioned in part I of Nicaragua's Natural Beauty (The Volcanoes), the country counts with fifty-eight volcanic peaks of which some have erupted to form lakes on their craters. Some of these lakes are accessable to everybody, some other ones are protected areas however, all of them provide beautiful landscapes.
APOYO
This
beautiful lake is actually a caldera of 7km in diameter. It was formed by
a eruption dating as back as twenty-three thousand years ago. The entire
lake has being declared a Natural Reserve, since possesses a rich flora
and fauna.One could go all the way down to lake and refresh in its calm and very clear waters, practice all kinds of water sports or just have a pleasant time. But it also has lookouts; the most popular one is "Catarina Lookout" (Mirador de Catarina), in Masaya, where breathtaking views are available.
| >> Check out Laguna de Apoyo Natural Reserve under Protected Areas with in-depth information |
| >> More information and images can be found at Xolo.com.ni's Lake Apoyo (Spanish) |
>> CONTINUE TO LAKES II WITH: Masaya, Cosiguina and lakes surrounding Managua...