Surfing, Beaches, Craters, Lakes, and Leatherbacks

Laguna de Apoyo and San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

After leaving Granada we headed out to Laguna de Apoyo (about a 20 minute ride from town) for a stay at Crater's Edge. The laguna, a lush crater lake, was formed by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in Nicaraguan history over 21,000 years ago. The laguna is 6km in diameter with a depth estimated to be 200m at its center (supposedly the deepest body of water in all of Central America). Crater's Edge is a small (6 rooms and a separate dormitory), but quaint hotel run by a very friendly Canadian named Anne. The hotel offers spectacular panoramic views of the lake combined with activities like kayaking, swimming, tubing, or if you prefer, just hanging out on a hammock. We did some kayaking around the lake for a little while, but soon opted out of the boats and into inner tubes as we cruised out to the floating dock to hang out for the afternoon.

Crater's Edge Hospedaje

The lake water remains at a nice bathtub-like temperature all year round due to the heat which continues to emanate from the depths of the crater. It also provided enough minerals to your skin as you swam, that as you left the water, it felt as though you had been through a fancy spa skin treatment. The best part of all...although it contains trace amounts of sulfur and other related volcanic chemicals and minerals, it lacked the typical rotten-egg smell that often accompanies natural hot springs.

A nice place to watch the sun set

The meals are prepared by a small staff using all locally grown ingredients, and consisted of a sumptuous breakfast buffet, vegetarian pizza for lunch, and a delicious stirfry for dinner. Dinner was served by candlelight on a patio overlooking the lake with stars lighting up the sky overhead. It was definitely a great place to kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself at your own pace...which, we did.

The dock where we spent the better half on an afternoon; a brief rain shower rewards us with a beautiful rainbow over the lake

After leaving Laguna de Apoyo, we headed west to Rivas (the last major town before the border). While in Rivas we attempted to navigate our way to the TICA bus station prior to heading over to the beach town of San Juan Del Sur. We met a number of weary travelers and many naysayers who all talked at great length about the craziness and confusion of crossing the border on foot. Well, as it turns out, it was just way too expensive to purchase an onward bus ticket to Liberia, Costa Rica ($23 each for a 2 hour ride. Turns out that you must purchase a full-fare Managua to San Jose ticket, even if you alight earlier in the ride...no thanks!). So after a bit of confusion, a little over an hour of wasted time, turning down offers from about 35 different taxi drivers (Not an exaggeration, we swear!) that wanted to take us to the border, San Juan Del Sur, and who knows where else, we ended up catching the next bus for the coast that would finally get us to the beach.

The beach at San Juan del Sur; Ginnie taking it all in

After a short and quite pleasant one hour trip, we reached San Juan Del Sur and checked into Casa Oro.

One of the many surfer transport vehicles at Casa Oro; a small church at the end of town (not only had a full-on manger scene in the back, but many snow globes and other festive arrangements all around the surrounding park

Casa Oro was sort of a combination of a surfer hangout/backpackers last chance stop. It's a great looking place with lots of information on tours, surfing, ziplining, etc, but its rooms are more than rustic. What makes up for the lackluster rooms though, is an amazingly friendly staff and all around festive atmosphere and positive vibes. Casa Oro is close to the center of town, only a block from the beachfront, and offers shuttles to just about every beach in the area. We stayed in San Juan Del Sur for three days and had plenty of time to see a lot of things. The town sits on a horseshoe shaped cove and is framed by dramatic cliffs all around. It remains a tranquil fishing village, but is slowly starting to turn into an outpost for all types of recreation.

A pre-columbian stone statue stands watch over the beach below; local kids building sandcastles and slinging mud

Most people come to San Juan to surf, we were no different. After renting our boards and gearing up, we jumped into an old beat up Range Rover and were driven over to Playa Remanso where we began a day of surfing. This was Ginnie's first attempt to become one with the ocean, and only Anthony's second. Our instructor, a man named Fred, came all the way to Nicaragua from the sandy shores of Peru. He was a total surfer for life, spending most of his days in the water either giving lessons or surfing killer waves (he'd traveled as far as Indonesia, and actually was rejected a second visa because he overstayed his first, saying the waves and surf was just too incredible to just up and leave). We paid $20 for a one hour lesson, and as it turns out, he spent almost 2 1/2 with us - teaching, practicing, and reviewing everything until we were confident (semi-amateur) surfers. Fred believes that, as an instructor, it is his duty to insure each of his students is able to learn and understand the various aspects of surfing prior to being let go on his/her own. The lesson was really amazing, and by the end of the afternoon we were not only standing up and riding in many waves of all shapes and sizes all on our own, but we immediately began thinking of when we could surf next. Sadly, the next day, we had to leave San Juan del Sur, but on the bright side we were heading to Costa Rica (on the not so bright side...the infamous border towns of Sapoa and Penas Blancas, a story in and of itself!!! Cue the dreadful music.)

Some fun shots from in and around town in San Juan del Sur

A lee bit of a side note...THE DREADED BORDER CROSSING at Sapoa, Nicaragua to Penas Blancas, Costa Rica - To put things briefly, and hopefully into perspective for all of our readers, this border crossing was, by far, the longest, most confusing, chaotic mess that we have ever experienced in all of our travels. The border consisted of a single building with four windows, no signage, and no order whatsoever, had we not spoken Spanish as well as we had, we probably would have spent the New Year in Nicaragua rather than CR. After all was said and done, we had waited in three different lines, for a total of a little over three hours. Thankfully, we arrived early in the morning, it could have been worse. As we crossed to Costa Rica we followed the line as it snaked in and around things for almost a 1/4 of a mile. We can't even begin to imagine how long these people must have had to wait. Be afraid...be very afraid. You've been warned!

Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica

As we left the border, we were lucky enough to catch a bus heading south to Liberia, CR. After about an hour or so, we reached, caught another transport, and finally arrived at Playa Tamarindo around 3PM. A long day of travel, but what a relief it was to get to our next stop. Playa Tamarindo sits atop the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific side of Costa Rica.

Local surf rescue vessel (sponsored by Kelloggs Cereals); Finally...a yummy mango

What was once a small fishing village of only a few thousand people, has turned into a sprawling town of hotels, restaurants, surf shops, cafes, a bookshop, and a bit too much touristy-ness.

Christmas Eve dinner at Bruno's Italian Restaurant...AMAZING!!! The owner gave us glasses of wine for Christmas, then wouldn't take the picture without them

We spent three days, including Christmas Eve, enjoying the sights, sounds, and food of Tamarindo and the surrounding beaches. As it snowed back in New England, we body surfed and lounged in the warm waters of the Pacific...it was the good life indeed.

Oh so happy to be on vacation; Ginnie striking a pose with ginormous horses outside of the restaurant

While in Tamarindo we had the opportunity to venture out on a night time tour in Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas (Leatherback Turtle's National Park) to observe the ancient nesting ritual of the leatherback turtle. Las Baulas National Marine Park supports the largest nesting colony of leatherback sea turtles (baulas) on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, with a population size of about 800 female turtles nesting per year. Nesting season is approximately November through April. Leatherback Sea Turtles have been here for over 65 million years. They have witnessed the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of humanity. Their habitat spans the globe from the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific around New Zealand. Extraordinary creatures, they hold important secrets about biology and medicine. Leatherbacks are the largest turtle, reaching a shell length of 1.7m and a mass of 700kg. In 1980 there were over 115,000 adult females, but there are now less than 25,000 worldwide, and they are close to extinction in the Pacific Ocean. If action is not taken soon to protect leatherbacks in the ocean and on nesting beaches the leatherback will disappear in our lifetime (information from the Leatherback Trust). We arrived at the park around 9PM, took a short boat ride across the bay, and trekked about 1.5 miles to the nesting site of one particular female who had been spotted earlier by local biologists. {All photos of turtles come from the previously mentioned site since ambient light bothers them and we were not permitted to carry cameras.}

A leatherback turtle as she heads out to build a nest and lay her eggs

When we arrived, the adult turtle was in the midst of a second attempt at building her nest. Keeping in mind the size of these turtles and the frailty of the sand below them, it was quite an amazing feat to watch this enormous creature slowly and methodically build her nest (using only her lower body flippers/feet and digging solely by touch). As we looked on she continued to the point of almost finishing, when suddenly, the soft dry sand collapsed from underneath, and she was forced to begin all over again. We sat under the stars (witnessing many meteors fly through the sky) for a couple of hours as she continued with a third attempt. Unfortunately, the earth was just not cooperative and as a result, the turtle decided to take a break and return to the ocean, perhaps to make another attempt later that night or the next day.

A leatherback slowly pushing herself back to the Pacific

The process is a very sensitive and complicated one, as the turtle builds her nest, lays somewhere around 100 eggs, and buries them before returning to the sea. As these baby turtles hatch, the trek from their nest to the water is imprinted on their memory and is used later on in adult life as they will return to the same nesting area to lay their own eggs. We definitely recommend this trip. It was amazing to witness nature just as it has been for millions of years before human beings inhabited our planet. Although, we would have appreciated being provided with a bit more information from our guide. Check out the Leatherback Trust for more information. Next, we're off to Monteverde and Santa Elena...

A Trip Through Colonial Times

Our vacation began in Nicaragua, where we spent a few days in the colonial towns of Masaya and Granada. As is the case with all the colonial towns we have visited in Central America, each has a large parque central with a church facing one end. Each town has its own unique character, Granada being much older than Masaya. In fact, Granada is Nicaragua’s oldest Spanish city (founded in 1524) and is one of the oldest cities in Central America and all of the Americas (there are varying reports of where it ranks being somewhere around the third largest in the Americas).

Overlooking the town of Masaya

Granada from a bell tower

Masaya was a great place to start our travels as it was easy to get around (it advertises its artesanias a great deal – we even ended up carrying around a piece of art for the entire trip after looking through the Mercado Viejo). For the most part, the items for sale are the same throughout Central America, but there is always something that shows a local “flavor” and we found the painting style here was just what we like. In addition to walking around the Parque Central and taking a stroll to the malecon (a promenade along the Laguna de Masaya) we visited a century-old fortress overlooking Masaya and the surrounding area from atop a hill just north of town.

Coyotepe Fortress provided a beautiful view of Masaya and the Nicaraguan landscape. Its location was selected so Masaya could be protected from invasion, particularly by North American armies. Later in its life, an underground prison was constructed and the site was used to hold political prisoners in small cells filled with 10 – 15 men. We took a tour through the underground tunnels, which were still in use as a prison into the 1980’s. We saw the varying levels of torture rooms as well, including one used for psychological torture that has absolutely no light and in which men would be left for days, weeks, months, or longer.

We also had our own little adventure on our first day when we began our return to town from the bottom of the hill of the fort - colectivo van stopped for us, asked where we were going and when we said Masaya the conductor waved us on. As we went around the rotary into town, we went onto a street just after the one we’d come out on. We didn’t worry much since the man said we were going to El Mercado and it’s a bit outside the town center. When we kept getting farther and not seeming anywhere near our stop, I quickly reminded the conductor of our destination and suddenly he was confused. We were on our way to Granada a day early! He offered to let us stay on since they return to Masaya, but we were hungry and didn’t feel like riding all the way just to come back (they are close, but not that close!). So, we got right out and caught the next bus coming in from Granada. Despite our lee detour, it was a great day and the bus ride was no more than 50 cents total, so no big loss!

Coyotepe Fortress

Bats "hanging around" in a prison cell

Outside Masaya, Nicaragua from atop Coyotepe


Trying not to blow over from the wind and get the perfect shot!

After our full day in Masaya, we headed out to Granada (to stay this time) by making our way to the bus terminal. It’s a really busy terminal with painted buses ready to make their runs between several different points and vendors galore. The Granada trip was nice and short (about 40 minutes) and we were at our next stop before mid-day. We spent our nights at Hostal Oasis, a nice hostel right off the main Calle Atravesada, which is filled with merchants selling anything from toenail clippers to pastries to chickens. We were also just a few blocks from Parque Central and several churches.

This is why they call 'em "chicken buses" (this is from the Masaya bus terminal)

Granada is named after Granada, Spain, the home town of conquistador and founder, Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. Our first excursion in town was to Iglesia de La Merced where we walked up a long and steep spiral staircase to the bell tower for an amazing view of Granada that extended to the lake, Lago de Nicaragua, and to the far reaches of the city on the other sides. The bells are very sturdy, when Ginnie bumped her head she tested that out! Not a fun thing to bump into (solid steel and all), by the way, so be careful up there :) After looking at the city from above, we made our way to Parque Central to have some lunch. We found ourselves on Calle La Calzada, which travels behind the Catedral all the way to the lake and is filled with cafes and shops and even another church, Iglesia de Guadalupe (which was originally a fort).

I saw the sign, yet still bumped my head!


In the bell tower

Men making hammocks at their workshop in Granada


The rest of our first day took us to Casa de Los Leones, which is home to an art school and gallery. We also stopped by the Convento y Iglesia de San Francisco, a very uniquely built light blue church – the front looks like a piece of a set for a play or movie as it is just a large concrete shape and then there is a gray concrete building behind it that does not line up with the front. It may have something to do with the fact that the original building was burned down by William Walker, a filibuster from the US who wanted to take over Central America and caused a lot of destruction in these beautiful cities.

Colorful buildings by Parque Central, Granda (Casa de Los Leones is among them)

Iglesia de San Francisco as seen from the front and the side

After a long day of walking the city, we returned for more the next morning. On our way to the lake to hire a boat to take us out to Las Isletas, we met Allan, a local whose “office” is Parque Central. He was very nice; he and Anthony spent time talking about Granada while Ginnie was off taking photos of the buildings surrounding the park; we decided to take him up on his offer to teach us about the history of Granada and join us on our boat trip and a walking tour of the city. We had a great trip out on the boat (and got an even lower rate because Allan brought us to his friend, the boat’s owner) so we hopped onto a 12-seater boat with just us and the driver and toured Las Isletas.

Volcan Mombacho as seen from our boat

Las Isletas were formed over 10,000 years ago when Volcan Mombacho erupted. They consist of 365 small islands just offshore of Granada. Many islands remain inhabited. While on the trip, we even stopped at a village on one of the islands for a Coke and a short break. That day they happened to be having a funeral and we learned about how they hold their funerals and take the body and the mourners by boat to the island cemetery just a few islands away. There are also islands owned by wealthy Nicaraguans who have huge houses on their isleta. We stopped by Monkey Island to get up close to the remaining 6 monkeys (5 spider and 1 capuchin – this one is tormented by the spider monkeys, we are sad for him). You can bring food to feed the monkeys, but we suspect that may be why the population has dwindled from once being in the hundreds – if humans feed wild animals, they lose their need to hunt and then they starve, it’s not good. Since these monkeys are basically dependent now on this food, we did bring along bananas, but they were not interested in the ones we had! The monkey would take it right from our hands, sniff it, and toss it on the ground. Funny thing is when we bought them Allan said they didn’t look great, but they weren’t for us – well the monkeys didn’t want really ripe bananas either. After the visit with the monkeys, we came to Isla San Pablo where the infamous small fort, El Castillo, sits. This fort was built to guard against British incursions in 1784. From here we could see Volcan Mombacho towering overhead and the skyline of Granada in the distance. Allan tells us the fort was also used to protect against pirates.

The monkey who joined us on the boat

On El Castillo with Volcan Mombacho in the background (this wall is where teenaged Granadans come to carve their names in the bricks)

When we returned to dry land, Allan suggested we see a place that was filled with the most beautiful artwork, the cemetery. Neither of us has ever seen such dramatic tombs and they truly were artistic and stunning. It was amazing to see what people have built in honor of their loved ones. From the cemetery it’s a quick walk to Fortaleza La Polvora, another military garrison turned into a political prison during the 1980’s. We could see over the tops of the neighborhoods of Granada from one of the five points of the fort and learned more about the torture of prisoners (whose options all led to death since by speaking they would be released back into the hands of the revolutionaries who would kill them for speaking and by not speaking, they would be tortured to death). Just down the street we came to another church (one that was replicated on a cemetery tomb) and then walked further down Calle Real Xalteva to Iglesia de Xalteva, which sits outside of a small park of stone benches and walkways. This park was one of Central America’s first market sites where parishioners would come on Sundays after services to pick up their food for the coming week. The original stalls for fish and washing produce are built into the park and still remain, but are empty now. This is where we parted ways with our friend Allan as he was right near his neighborhood and we were just a few blocks from the hostel.

Tombs at the Cemetery in Granada

After a busy day of walking, we had a nice dinner back by the park and stumbled upon a Christmas concert at El Catedral, so we stopped in to listen to the carols being played by a small orchestra. It was just a perfect holiday evening listening to the carols in the church overlooking the park at night (particularly because Ginnie had just been lamenting the lack of any Christmas music so far on this trip - and it turned out this was the only time we heard any Christmas music). Earlier that evening, we had stumbled upon a band playing outside a hotel across from the church and picked up gelato at a great café where we also ate bagels both mornings. Granada was a beautiful town. From there we headed to Laguna de Apoyo, more to come on that in a next post.

Enjoying an outdooor show in el Parque Central

A Christmas Concert at El Catedral

Colonial Costa Rica

Later in our trip, we passed through several colonial towns on our trip from La Fortuna, Costa Rica to Alajuela. We stopped for more pictures of the pretty churches overlooking the unique parks. One park in one of the towns (whose name now we can't recall!) was full of fun-shaped bushes – including crazy arches leading to the church and many shrubs cut in the shape of dinosaurs. We also noticed a red church in the town of Grecia, later learning it's the only metal church in the country and was sent to Costa Rica from Europe (and evidently was supposed to go to Greece, but ended up in the village of Grecia…). We didn’t stop as we traveled through, but we did return on the last day of the trip to see the red, metal church and the neighboring town of Sarchi, famous for its painted ox carts. Being New Year’s Day, nothing was open, but we enjoyed both parks and seeing the world’s largest ox cart in Sarchi!

The crazy arches made of bushes in one central park along the route

The world's largest ox cart in Sarchi, Costa Rica

Another town with a gigantic and historic church is Cartago, which lies south of San Jose. La Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles is a huge and intricately designed Basilica which contains La Negrita, Costa Rica’s patron Virgin. Legend has it that La Negrita (or the Black Madonna) appeared to an indigenous girl who then took it home, only to find it missing and reappearing where she had originally found it. After a few attempts, it was evident La Negrita was not meant to be in the woman’s home and she remains in the Basilica by the rock where she appeared and where pilgrims come to her for her healing powers. Many visitors walk on their knees down the center of the church; annually on August 2nd, pilgrims will walk from San Jose to Cartago (many on their knees), a 22km trek. Also in Cartago are Las Ruinas, the shell of a church by Parque Central which it is said was ruined because only the Basilica should exist in Cartago. Legend tells that attempts were made to build this church, only to be destroyed by an earthquake, and when construction began again, another earthquake destroyed the church (never effecting the Basilica) so it was decided there would be no further attempts to build another church in town.

La Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Los Angeles

Our stops in the colonial towns and to see these legendary churches left us with a lot of education and history of many areas, we hope you’ve enjoyed our stories and learned from them as well.

More Pictures

A Church in ruins in Masaya

Churches in Granada (El Catedral from the bell tower and Iglesia de Guadalupe, former fort)

Churches in Costa Rica (clockwise from top left: church with the park of crazy bushes, La Basilica in Cartago, the red metal church in Grecia, church in Sarchi)

And, these are just random

What Christmas is complete without a giant Coca Cola tree? This is just one of many seen in San Jose, Costa Rica

Next Stop…Las Playas