Hi I was on Ometepe for the 1st time 2 weeks ago and loved it! We went to Charco Verde for a visit and it was very nice, however I would recommend going over to the Maderas side of the island. We stayed at La Omaja which was nestled into the side of the volcano and thus protected from the strong winds. As we drove past Villa Paraiso, it looked pretty, but the wind and waves were so high I said a silent prayer of thanks that we weren't staying there. The view from La Omaja was incredible with the lake to the front and Concepcion off to the left. It was a 5 minute walk down the driveway across to a pier on the lake. There is lots of kayaking (an island with monkeys is very close, but we didn't go and I don't remember the name), horseback riding, bicycling, and plenty of hiking to see the waterfalls and/or petroglyphs. Another reason I loved staying at La Omaja were the employees and owner Jamie. They were very sweet, friendly,helpful and Jamie speaks english. Our cabana was simple, but clean and the food good. The area here is very idylic with little traffic except for bicycles, walkers, and livestock. I felt like we had an excellent combination of good accommodations while having the tranquil island experience, yet more activities available than we had time to do, and easy access to a very friendly community full of eager children and shy, but smiling and waving adults. The down side is that it is a $30 taxi ride from the ferry terminal. Ojo de Agua would be easy to visit on the trip there or back.The other place on this side of the island that we liked was Hacienda Merida - right on the water at Samoza's old dock, some people describe it as gringo summer camp, but it looked fun! WE bought 2 gallons of bottled water to bring to the island with us, if you are able to I would recommend it. Hope this helps - have a great trip!
