Is it worth the visit to Isla Ometepe

Thanks so much for all the advise guys! Pays to ask! I will be going to Ometepe now and staying a few extra nights in Leon. I feel totally ashamed thinking that I might skip beautiful Ometepe lol! My interests are adventure, kayaking, relaxing, reading, exploring and many more. From the sounds of all the recommendations here Ometepe is the best place to be for this!

I have dumped SJDS for extra nights in Ometepe and Leon so my next question would be how to get from Ometepe over to Costa Rica the stop being Liberia. It looked super easy from SJDS which was really my main reason going there. It doesn't look so easy from Rivas. What are the best bus companies from Rivas and do they take you directly to Liberia? For some reason I'm having trouble finding such info on Google.

Better yet is there a bus from Rivas to Monteverde or is that to much bus time?

Back to Rivas,one bus from there to the border ,cross the border on foot and then another bus to Liberia.

That is how I did it anyway...don't know if there is anything more direct than that from Ometepe.

BTW if you are going to Liberia, try to have at least a day there to visit the Rincon de la Vieja.....

From Ometepe you take the ferry/boat to San Jorge. Taxi to Rivas (should not be more than $1-2). In Rivas take a bus to the border (Penas Blancas). Walk across the border and take a bus to Liberia. Can't help with Monteverde but if you are in Liberia and you have time you could check out Rincon de la Vieja (we hiked up the volcano but I don't think that is allowed right now but there is also a fun walk to fumaroles and bubbling mud pots (with some spider monkeys to entertain you) and we did a hike to a beautiful waterfall/swimming hole).

Edited because I just saw the reply before mine... great minds think alike!

I don't know your plans of course but from Ometepe you could also take a night ferry on Mondays and Thursdays (if it is running again... it wasn't running a while back because of low water levels) to San Carlos on the Rio San Juan. It is a great area to explore for a few days: wildlife refuge Los Guatuzos is amazing, there is also El Castillo and biological reserve Indio Maiz. From San Carlos you can go to Los Chiles in Costa Rica. From there you could make your way to Tortuguero and the southern Caribbean coast (beautiful wild beaches, rainforest and lots of wildlife).

PERFECT! Thanks guys!

Monteverde is NOT worth visiting. Ometepe blows it away on many levels. 3 nights on a magical island with two volcanoes detached from the mainland culturally and physically...

Monteverde is a bording cloud forest that is tourist like a 3 ring circus...seriously, like SJDS..OVERRATED.

To get to Liberia, the best way is to taxi from San Jorge (ferry to Ometepe) or taxi from Rivas to Border. Cross border and get a bus to Liberia, they depart every 20-30 minutes in daylight to and from Nica border.

In Liberia, there is not bus to Monteverde/Santa Elena, you need to get off bus going to Canas or San Jose at the road up to there, and wait for a passing bus or shuttle. Its about 5 hours from Liberia via bus...and its same back, or 4 hours to San Jose (direct bus).

I have heard nothing but good things about Monteverde. What is it that you didn't like about it other than it being touristy? Where else do you reccommend?

How long will you have in CR and what are your basic plans.
I liked Monte Verde but there are many better places, like Tortuuero, Cahuita NP, Osa P. etc. MV is also a pain to get in-out, it's time consuming.
Recommend taking the ferry to San Carlos and cross there, if it's running, check locally.

I have 9 nights in Costa Rica. My basic plans were Liberia, Monteverde and Puerto Viejo so far.....