Howlers At The Green Puddle
We exited the ferry onto Ometepe, an island comprised of two volcanoes rising above Lake Nicaragua’s choppy surface which are connected by a low isthmus giving it an hour-glass shape. The northernmost volcano, Concepcion, is active while the southern, Madera, lies dormant with a caldera and lagoon crowning its heights.
The island is large and sparsely populated for its size with a population somewhat in excess of 40,000 inhabitants. Ometepe is still primarily devoted to livestock and agriculture although tourism and eco-tourism are rapidly growing economic sectors. There are two small ports, Moyogalpa on the northwest coast of Concepcion, where our ferry docked, and Altagracia on its northeastern shore, with a newly paved road connecting them. A paved road also runs the length of the isthmus then abruptly ends on the northern slopes of Madera and the ride rapidly deteriorates. Clench your teeth because, if you want to go anywhere off this semi-circular road, you’re in for a bite-your-tongue, slow and bumpy journey.
The island has an interesting archeological history whichs appear to have begun with migrants from Mexico as the initial inhabitants perhaps around 2000 BC. By happenstance, we stumbled upon Jorge Luis who was knowledgeable and who served as both chauffeur and guide during our stay.
He shepherded us around the island starting with Museo de Ceibo at the end of a dirt road near a small village with the unusual name of Tel Aviv. The museum, devoted to the artifacts of the island, was much more than we had expected and showcased household and ceremonial pottery, kitchen and agricultural implements, weapons for hunting and war and burial urns. The influence of the Mayan culture in certain polychromatic ceremonial pieces was obvious. We also visited Altagracia to view the few pieces of statuary left on the island (most have been moved to Managua and Granada) and many of the numerous and sizeable petroglyphs located on the lower slopes of the volcano Madera, among the most ancient of the relics on the island. 
After a tasty lunch of fresh grilled fish from the lake we headed for a swim to Ojo de Agua, the Eye of the Water, a mineral spring marginally developed by an encasement of the basin in a tiered pool, situated at the end of, yet another, rutted, bumpy road. The water, crystal clear, mirrored the surrounding colors of blues and greens and the sun’s rays slanting down through the leafy cover overhead reflected mystically off the water. After a hot and dusty day the cool water was divine and the atmosphere of the spring was extraordinary and surreal. 
On the third day of our visit we discovered the newly opened Butterfly Paradise, obviously intended for butterflies but it could also have been called that for us humans as well. A recently built, enclosed, mammoth-sized enclosure was beautifully and artistically 
landscaped which allowed our flying friends to live in an environment without predators. Fresh fruit was cut and strategically placed throughout the enormous space as a supply of fructose and colorful flowers offering nectar as a food sources in abounded in well-tended garden beds. For us, the only visitors at the time, it was simply an oasis of tranquility and a place to marvel at the delightful creatures.
We lodged at the Charco Verde Hotel, literally translated as the Green Puddle, so named due to its association with a small nature preserve of that name, found at the terminus of (yet again!) a dusty dirt road.
The setting was quiet and relaxed, nestled on the water’s edge in a cove on the south shore of Concepcion. The lagoon itself, the “puddle”, was fed by a fresh water spring and was lined with trees, forbs and shrubs. But the most appealing were the troupes of howler monkeys which we found could be witnessed each afternoon, high overhead, around dusk. The dry season provided the perfect viewing with the sparse vegetation allowing us to observe these clever acrobats and listen to their deep and reverberating warnings. All in all, a few days delightfully spent in the somnambulant life of Charco Verde serenaded by our hosts, the howlers.
By Anita and Richard, April, 2014
Wow, what an interesting place! My city slicker husband would not last one day with those monkeys! But I so enjoyed visiting through your eyes! Thank you! I LOVE butterflies!
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Thanks for taking me along to the Green Puddle!
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You’re welcome!
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Glad you enjoyed your “virtual” visit with the monkeys. Part of travel for us is to try new things that take us out of our comfort zones (like wandering around jungle paths!) so, even for city slickers, there are always adventures awaiting!
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Such a pretty spot, and what a great capture of that howler monkey! I visited a butterfly farm on St. Martin and could not believe the way the pupa looked like little hanging jewels. By the way, your header on the blog is terrific-where are those crazy trees?
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So glad you like our yellow trees. They are located on Bolivar Avenue in Managua, Nicaragua, and completely captured our imaginations the first time we saw them. They just make me smile!
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I’ve been mulling a trip to Nicaragua to go to the beaches but never really gave a lot of thought to going inland. Your post has given me a little more imagination! Ometepe sounds very interesting – I’m always happy with cool water, monkeys and butterflies! Not so happy with long dusty roads but sometimes they’re just unavoidable. Your photos are gorgeous!
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Nicaragua’s beaches are beautiful and really worth visiting on both the Pacific and Caribbean sides but the colonial cities of Granada (our favorite) and Leon are also well-worth some visiting time as well as the hill and mountain country and, of course, Ometepe. It’s a huge country with lots of amazing photo opportunities!
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I’ve been to every country in central America except Nicaragua and El Salvador. While visiting Costa Rica some years ago, we came close to the Nicaraguan border which at that time was bristling with soldiers with sub-machine guns. It didn’t seem like a very welcoming place. It sounds like the situation has improved somewhat. Maybe it’s a time to give Nicaragua another look as a travel destination. I do remember the howler monkeys from Costa Rica. Mostly they sounded peeved at our presence 😉
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Nicaragua is now one of the most stable countries in Central America but it is still getting bad (and outdated) press. We spent almost 6 months traveling around the country and felt both welcome and safe. You’ll be pleasantly surprised if you do look at Nicaragua for a vacation as its beaches (both Pacific and Caribbean) are amazing with terrific snorkeling and scuba diving, beautiful colonial cities, coffee and cocao plantations, etc. Can you tell we really loved the country?
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What an interesting place to visit. I love how you captured the howler monkey enjoying himself. Great photos of the butterfly and fish.
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Ometepe was a fascinating visit and the days went by much too fast. The howler monkeys were the high points of our time there (which is why we kept repeating the hike!) but the butterflies, too, were amazing.
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What a cool name — the Green Puddle. Looks like lots of wonderful nature to see and enjoy, including the howlers!
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There was so much to do and see on Ometepe that 4 days really wasn’t enough. And, of course, there’s always kick-back time to just relax and enjoy the beauty all around!
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this looks like such a fabulous place. I love your photos – especially the one of the howler. I would love to visit a butterfly park which is something I’ve never done. Thanks for sharing.
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Ometepe Island really is an incredible place to stay for a few days and we had such an awesome time watching the howler monkeys that we made the hike several times! As for the butterfly park, this is the second one we’ve seen in Central America (the other was in Honduras) and they are so tranquil and zen-like.that you carry a feeling of peace for several hours after a visit.
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Ometepe sounds like a very interesting and beautiful place. The howling monkeys fascinate me.
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We first ran into howler monkeys in Mexico and, any time we have the opportunity to be in an area to see them, we take it. They make such a primitive sound and an amazing amount of noise for such a small animal!
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What an interesting place to visit – it’s a part of the world we have not yet visited and probably won’t, so I enjoy reading about it. I thought the same thing as someone else who posted that the howler looks like a bear at first glance! 😉
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We love Nicaragua and, you’re right, it really is an incredibly fascinating country to read about and visit. As for the howler monkey, I think the angle of the photo made his fur look much fuller than it was because there was no mistaking that they were monkeys!
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Spotting howler monkies is pretty mesmerizing!
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Because it was dry season the foliage was thin and it was great to be able to see so many howler monkeys during our hikes. And you’re right, it was mesmerizing!
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Thank your for this amazing segment of your journey. The howler looks like a bear at first glance. You discover all sorts of wonderful treasures to photograph.
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He does look rather like a bear in the picture. Since the tree foliage was so scant it was easy to spot the monkeys and entertaining to watch them climb and lounge about. And it was amazing to hear the monkey howl! It’s unearthly and, if you didn’t know what was making the sound, would be downright frightening!
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WOW!! These spots are so different than the cities of Granada and Manague, my only experiences in Nicaragua. Reminds me of the difference from New York City and the Adirondacks, up state New York.Your adventures seem to grow in “wonderful” the longer you stay in this country.Looking forward to your next stop.
Keep well!
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Ometepe felt like a step back in time and it was so amazing that the island could encompass so many beautiful and totally different experiences – from museums and petroglyphs to howler monkeys and incredibly beautiful springs and volcanoes. You’re right – the wonderful keeps going and growing!
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Amazing! How did you guys find all these places and how did you decide what you want to see?
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So many places to go and so many places to see…As for how we find places to visit – Many times we start with our handy maps and research places online. When we stay at B & B’s we always check with our hosts and other visitors. Tourist agencies are also good places to stop in and check out their brochures and, above all don’t forget taxi drivers! Some of the best places we’ve visited or eaten at have been from a driver’s tip!
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I was wondering about YOUR choices….how did you start out choosing i.e. just places you heard about, or read something about, or just popped into your heads and you decided you would check them out?
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I mean I was not asking for myself to find places to visit. If I had the money the first place I would go is back to Ireland for extended visit to see friends and drive around the country again.
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It’s great to have places to look forward to visiting and revisiting. I see pictures of Ireland and read about its history and my imagination starts going…! I can certainly see it’s appeal.
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Ireland is beautiful and so much history. You should go.
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Ireland’s on the bucket list somewhere…!
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🙂
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A lot of times we’ll hear about something that interests us (history or unusual events or customs) and follow up on that. Other times our choices are random or just kind of happen as we’re traveling – many times those are the best experiences!
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Now that is the way it sounds exciting 🙂
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What a wonderful tribute to our island of peace. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Glad you enjoyed your stay, but so sorry we didn’t know you were here. Next time? Thank you so much for this lovely post. Hugs from Ometepe!
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We’re so glad that you liked our story about Ometepe which is a truly magical place that makes one appreciate quieter and simpler times. We’ll be leaving Nicaragua this week but I hope our paths cross when we return..
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