I recently discovered Lake Apoyo and oh man, I never realized it was so much fun. I knew about it because I would visit Catarina, a little town that overlooks this beautiful lake, but probably like most of us, never went down to the lake itself. However, on my last trip, I did just that and in fact, liked it so much that went again in the same week. In fact, the number of visitors Lake Apoyo is attracting, has significantly increased. People are finally finding out, like myself, what this beautiful lake had always had to offer: an scenic view, an excellent choice to practice aquatic sports, a very pleasant place to pastime and not to forget its natural reserve. Now, it's your turn to check out this natural beauty our country possesses.


THE NATURAL RESERVE

     More than twenty thousands years ago, Apoyo Volcano erupted to form this gigantic 200-m-deep and 7-km-wide crater we now call Lake Apoyo. Since then, a very dense vegetation started to grow on its walls and not only that, many types of animals started to live in it as well. In order to protect the natural habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals in a 2,100 ha. area, the government declared it a natural reserve back in 1991.

FAUNA:
     Apoyo's Natural Reserve is home to a numerous type of animals. While walking through the forest, one could encounter with squirrels, deers, monkeys taking a nap or perhaps swinging from one tree to another; see the different types of birds, some migratories; or check out an iguana taking a sun bath. Who knows. There're also different types of fish. Visitors can enjoy a delicious fresh fish directly from the lake's blue and clean water, served at any of the local restaurants.

FLORA
As you can see, there're some absolutely beautiful flowers found in Laguna de Apoyo Natural Reserve.


THE MOST ENTERTAINING LAKE

    Before October of 1998, the most amusing and visited lake in the country was Xiloá, located near Managua, but after Hurricane Mitch, Xiloá became unhealthy to swim in and people started to look for other options, besides the beach. That other option was Lake Apoyo. It possesses very clear and clean waters, restaurants, little hotels and it's very quiet. Not only that, it also has lookouts for those people who don't want to go all the way to the lake. One could certainly have a nice and pleasant day either at the lake itself or its lookouts.

LOOKOUTS: Mirador de Catarina

    The little town of Caratina, Masaya, was blessed for having an excellent view at one of the country's most beautiful sceneries. That has helped attract not only nationals, but international tourist resulting in the creation of jobs for the locals.

At Catarina's lookout, visitors have a breathtaking look at one of the country's most beautiful landscapes: the beautiful Lake Apoyo, the towering Mombacho Volcano, the colonial city of Granada and the immense Lake Cocibolca. People come here to escape from the high temperatures, sit and check out the amazing view as they refresh themselves with the cool wind and perhaps listen to national music being played by a local "chichero" (*). One could also try a typical dish in one of the nearby restaurants. Or perhaps buy handmade articrafts by the locals. Not to forget are the beautiful flowers sold on the main street of this little town.

What has helped Catarina become very famous is the fact that the I.N.TUR (**) recently declared it a tourist site. Since then, many tour operators offer tours to this place, meaning more exposure to the international tourists. That has helped a lot with the local economy, especially the restaurants and the local merchants who sell their creative work.

LOOKOUTS: Mirador de Diriá

     This lookout is located in the little town of the same name, Diriá, just a few kilometers south of Catarina. However, it's not as famous as its neighbor eventhough it has another spectacular angle of the lake and its surroundings. The I.N.TUR has not yet declared it a touristic site because it doesn't have the infrastructure needed to welcome a big number visitors. Let's hope that Diriá has the same luck as Catarina, so it could improve the local economy.

CONTINUE TO PAGE TWO WITH: CONTINUATION OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING LAKE.