When to go & weather

Weather

The Rivas Peninsula shares the same sedimentary shelf, deposited over the eons atop ancient, forgotten volcanoes, with Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula; both are far older than much of the surrounding countryside. The sunny, dry climate that makes the beaches perfect along here also hosts dry tropical forest, which wilts to brown and loses its leaves as the dry season (November to May) wears on. On the upside, you can come here when the rest of the country is drenched, and still count on at least a couple of hours' sunbathing each morning.

Isla de Ometepe, the world's largest lake island, is the country's crown jewel. It is formed of two beautiful volcanoes, one of which seemed ready to erupt at the time of research.