Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EL QUINO
All buses headed to Playa Santo Domingo and Volcán Maderas stop in Altagracia, adding
perhaps half an hour to your trip. If you're headed to Playa Santo Domingo, consider get-
ting off at El Quino; it's a downhill, 4km walk to the beach, but you wouldn't want to do
it in the blazing sun with luggage.
Sleeping
Finca San Juan de la Isla
OFFLINE MAP
LODGE
$$$
( 8886-0734;
sanjuandelaisla.com
; El Quino, 500m N; r from US$100; )
This top-end
choice is accessed just north of the village of El Quino. Set on a working farm right on the
beach, the hacienda-style hotel has a private beach, remarkable volcano views from the
well-tended grounds, and a friendly common area where you can eat dinner or laze out in
a hammock. The rooms are well appointed, though slightly stiff.
Altagracia
POP 7000
With more natural protection from Concepción's occasional lava flow than Moyogalpa,
this is the original indigenous capital of Ometepe, and still the island's most important
town.
Sights & Activities
This is base camp for the other trailhead to Concepción, called La Sabana, which begins
about 2km from town. Both Hotel Central and Hotel Castillo can arrange guides.
The town's Parque Central is the center of the action, and features a sweet relief map of
the island. Hotel Castillo rents mountain bikes (for US$1 per hour).
Museo de Ometepe
(Parque Central, 1c O; admission US$2; 8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat, 9am-1pm
Sun)
The village's main attraction is this museum packed with information (in Spanish)
about the island. You'll find a much more comprehensive collection at the Museos El
Ceibo. Non-Spanish speakers will still appreciate the amazing scale model of the volca-
MUSEUM
