Horseback Riding and Kayaking on Ometepe Island

If you are a fan of riding horses or kayaking you should have a look at the following tours. We can arrange horseback riding tours around the Moyogalpa area and in Merida on Volcano Maderas. If you are experienced with horses you can rent them also per hour without a guide.
It is possible to do kayaking on the Charco Verde Lagoon and on Río Istíam on the isthmus between the two volcanoes, starting in Merida at our partner's restaurant and kayak station - Caballitos del Mar. The kayaks can also be rented hourly without a guide.

Haris Horses in Merida and Waterfall San Ramon Hari from Haris Horses, located in Merida on the western side of Volcano Maderas, takes you out on unforgettable horseback riding tours on the slopes of the volcano. Tours are available in spanish, english, german and italian. Start in Merida and take a 4 hour roundtrip ride to the San Ramon waterfall through the gorgeous setting of the tropical dry forest of Volcano Maderas. The way back will bring you along some beaches on the coast line between San Ramon and Merida. The maximum amount of persons for this tour is 6.

⊗ As said above the tour takes around 4 hours and you should bring a 1,5 liter bottle of water per person, a hat, mosquito repellent, sun blocker or a long sleeve shirt, long trousers and a towel if you plan to swim at the waterfall. We ask you to only bring items necessary for the ride with you. Backpacks can be stored at the farm during the tour. You will have the chance to buy lunch in a small local run restaurant on the way.

Other, more extended tours of 6 to 8 hours, going on further to a petroglyph site on the southern coast of Volcano Maderas or around the volcano are also available. Please note that horseback-riding tours that take more than 4 hours of time require experience with horses and riding and are recommended for more advanced riders only.

Horseback Riding around Moyogalpa A nice and relaxing way to explore the area around Moyogalpa is by horse. Take one of our horseback riding tours up the volcano for about 300 meters of altitude and enjoy the view from there. On the way back to ground level the excursion will take you to the beach at La Punta Jésus Maria in La Paloma, 2 kilometers outside of Moyogalpa, where you can have a refreshing swim in the lake before you come back to the village. Please note, the maximum amount of persons per group for this trip is 4.

⊗ The tour around Moyogalpa takes between 3 to 4 hours and you should bring 1,5 liters of water, a snack, a hat or basecap, sun blocker or a long-sleeve shirt and a towel if you want to jump into the lake at La Punta Jésus Maria.

Kayaking on Río Istiam One of the best experiences you can have on Ometepe Island is the kayak tour through the Istiam River. Picking up the kayaks in Merida at Caballitos del Mar you will paddle north along the coast line between Río Istiam and Merida to get to the isthmus where you enter the river. This tour offers you a good and ample view of Ometepe's biodiversity as the swampy area with its tropical vegetation is a perfect retreat for animals of all kinds. You will see a wide variety of animals, like birds, turtels, caimans, butterflies and others more while you are kayaking on the calm waters of the river. This area is a great spot for birdwatchers and tours in this spectrum of interest can be arranged for the early mornings and late afternoons too. We ask you to advise us if you need a bilingual guide for your tour.

⊗ The regular kayak tour on Río Istiam takes around 3 hours. You should bring about 2 liters of water and a snack. It is absolutely necessary to bring a hat, sun block or a long sleeve shirt and sun glasses, mosquito repellent. Do not pack to heavy, otherwise you can leave your belongings at the kayak station for the time of your tour.

Charco Verde Lagoon and Lake Kayaking At Charco Verde Nature Reserve it is possible to combine your hike around the lagoon with some kayaking and get a view of the area from the water. Charco Verde is home to plenty of bird families, a group of howler monkeys and sometimes white face monkeys are hanging around in the trees. But these are just a few among a lot of other animals like insects, different types of lizards or turtels. The nature reserve is also a good place for some birdwatching in the morning. Kayaks can also be brought onto the lake and a little tour along the coast line into the next bay can be made to get to a small, uninhabited island called Isla Quiste about 100m off Ometepe.

⊗ For this activity we recommend to take about a liter of water, depending on the time you like to spend kayaking. A hat, sun block or long sleeve shirt and sun glasse are highly recommended as the reflection of the sun on the water is very intense on some days.