RIVAS AND LA ISLA DE OMETEPE

South of Managua, the land crumples suddenly into the impressive and windblown peak of Las Nubes (934 meters) and then falls slowly to the south until it spills into the verdant and lush plains that form the southwestern part of Nicaragua. Here Lake Cocibolca presses the land into a narrow belt that barely separates the lake from the Pacific Ocean. It’s possible that, millions of years ago, it didn’t separate them at all: There is geological evidence that suggests Lake Cocibolca once flowed across this slim margin of land to the west, emptying into the Pacific near the fishing community of Brito, instead of down the Río San Juan and into the Atlantic Ocean as it does today.

  The isthmus of Rivas is laden with history and ghosts. Although known as the land of Nicarao, the area was first inhabited by the Kiribisis tribe, who were pushed aside by the more powerful Chorotegas. The Nicaraos came afterward and had lived in the area seven or eight generations when the Spanish arrived. Rivas is the largest community in the area, a peaceful colonial city of some 45,000 traders and farmers set around a stately white cathedral.

  During the California gold rush, hundreds of thousands of passengers sailing between New York and California touched terra firma for the only time in their 30-day passage here, traveling in horse-drawn carts between San Jorge and San Juan del Sur before boarding ships for California. About the same time, William Walker tasted defeat at the hands of armed locals around the colonial farm of El Mesón, now a historical and archaeological museum in the city of Rivas. Nearly a hundred years later, many of the battles in 1978 and 1979 were fought on the wealthy lands south of the capital, and young Sandinista troops suffered a major setback in Nandaime before they were to eventually claim their victory.

  The twin-peaked Isla de Ometepe rises out of the waters of Lake Cocibolca just east of Rivas and patiently awaits inquisitive travelers. An intensely volcanic island still steeped in tradition and mystery, Ometepe is the ancestral home of the Nahuatl people and the birthplace of modern Nicaragua. Legend has it the warrior chief Nicarao lies buried somewhere along Ometepe’s tree-lined coast.

  This southwestern part of the country does not suffer the same intense, grinding poverty so obvious in the parched lands of the north and west. It rains more in the south, and the rivers flow nearly year-round. The soils on Lake Cocibolca’s western shore are rich, productive, and deep volcanic. Cattle graze lazily here in immense, lucrative ranches and sugarcane fields drape the valleys south from the foot of Mombacho, one of Nicaragua’s most picturesque volcano peaks.

Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro: This old church has changed very little since the days when thousands of gold-rush passengers rode by it in horse-drawn carriages. (read more)

Punta Jesús María: Usually visited as a day trip from Moyogalpa, this is a unique sand-spit beach experience where you can mingle with the locals and drink a cold one in Concepción’s shadow. (read more)

Reserva Charco Verde: The beaches, short trails, abundant vegetation, and friendly accommodations make this a pleasant retreat. (read more)

Laguna de Volcán Maderas: This full-day mud bath of a hiking expedition will reward you with deep jungle and howling monkeys. (read more)

Río Istián: Paddling a kayak through these still waters is breathtaking, especially early in the morning or during sunset. (read more)

Cascada San Ramón: The trail to this 56-meter waterfall is well marked and well worth it. (read more)