Laguna de Apoyo Nicaragua: Everything You Need to Know
Since the journey from Ometepe via Managua to the Corn Islands felt a bit too long for us, we used Laguna de Apoyo as a stopover. We spent one night here and really enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere after all the bus and ferry rides. The lagoon is a huge crater lake in Nicaragua formed in an extinct volcano. It has a diameter of about 6.6 kilometers and is roughly 200 meters deep.
The water is pleasantly warm and perfect for swimming or a relaxing kayak tour. Around the lagoon you will find small accommodations, some restaurants, and viewpoints with great views of the lake. An overnight stay is not absolutely necessary as many travelers also come for a short day trip from Granada. Details about our entire Nicaragua itinerary and other important tips can be found in the Nicaragua round trip blog.
Things to Do at Laguna de Apoyo
Basically, the Laguna de Apoyo is a lake in a volcanic crater. Other than swimming or paddling across the lake in a kayak, there is not much else to do here. We spent most of our time sitting by the shore, reading a book, and enjoying the sun while having a coffee or snacking some fresh mango.
Restaurants Recommendations
There aren’t many restaurants in the area and as we only spent one night in Laguna de Apoyo, we only ate at Casa Marimba where we also stayed. Nevertheless you’ll find a selection of restaurants in the area below:
Where to Stay in Laguna de Apoyo?
We stayed at Casa Marimba, a quiet guesthouse right by the water that includes breakfast. The price with ~82€/night is pricey for Nicaragua, however you shouldn’t expect a luxurious stay. The accommodation was more spacious compared to others during our stay and was clean, so definitely okay for one night. It also has its own restaurant, which we can really recommend and breakfast is included.
Alternative Stays for Every Budget
There aren’t many alternative options for stays which are located directly at Laguna Apoyo and have direct lake access. All of them are more or less in the same area and the price range is around 40-80€/night for a private double room. As the selection of stays in Laguna Apoyo is limited, we recommend booking in advance in case you are planning a stop here. We’ve summarized some alternative stays below (prices ascending):
How to get to Laguna de Apoyo?
From Ometepe, first, you have to take a bus to Granada. From there we took a taxi which is basically the only way to reach the Laguna de Apoyo. Make sure to have some cash, as there is a small entrance fee to the area of around 5€.
Since you also need a taxi for the return trip, it’s best to coordinate directly with your accommodation or arrange with the taxi driver from the outbound journey when he should pick you up. This didn’t work out for us, as the taxi driver never showed, but it’s definitely worth trying. If you are heading to the airport in Managua, make sure to book the taxi well in advance. We had to wait a long time for one and with the traffic to Managua the timing can become quite tight especially if you have a connecting flight.