By Amber Dobrzensky
Nicaragua’s cleanest and most enticing swimming hole is Laguna de Apoyo, just outside of Masaya. Actually a lake that formed in the drowned volcanic crater of the long extinct Apoyo Volcano, the lagoon floor reaches 200 meters in depth—the lowest point in all of Central America. Considering how easy it is to reach the lagoon, it is surprisingly untouristed.
Despite its continued seismicity—a minor earthquake in 2000 under the crater-rim town of Catarina caused Apoyo’s water to slosh back and forth like a teapot and wrecked a few homes—for the most part the volcano is considered dormant, and a thick green forest has grown up the slopes over the years.
These slopes harbor a few hiking trails and are protected from further development by law. The crater hosts a few fish species found nowhere else on earth; scientists at the Proyecto Ecologico are studying them.
If you hike through the forests, expect to observe species of toucan, hummingbirds, blue jays, howler and white-face monkeys (which are prone to fling their feces at you if you approach), and rare butterflies. You will find very few places on earth quite like this charming, isolated community.
Getting to Laguna de Apoyo
Laguna de Apoyo is about a 20-minute ride from either Masaya or Granada, and about an hour from the airport in Managua. There are two paved roads that go up and over the crater lip and down to the water’s edge; one originates on Carretera Masaya, at a spot called el puentecito; the other branches off the Masaya–Catarina road. They join just before passing through the village of Valle de Laguna, where you’ll turn right at the T then make a quick left to begin your descent (pay a $1 entrance fee if driving). The road winds downward until the paved section ends exactly at the gate to former president Alemén’s vacation home.
Regular backpacker buses leave Hostel Oasis and the Bearded Monkey in Granada, charging about $10 return. Or share a taxi from Granada or Masaya for about $20.
Public buses headed for bajo al plan (i.e., lakefront) cost under $1 and leave the main Masaya market terminal at 10:30 a.m. and 3:10 p.m.; or you can hop one of the hourly buses for Valle de Laguna, then walk (30 minutes downhill) or wait for a stray taxi.
Mototaxis run between the puentecito and Valle de Laguna. Three public buses can get you back up the hill, leaving at 6 a.m., 11:10 a.m., and 4:40 p.m. (3 p.m. on Sunday is the last bus).
Nicaragua’s cleanest and most enticing swimming hole is Laguna de Apoyo, just outside of Masaya. Actually a lake that formed in the drowned volcanic crater of the long extinct Apoyo Volcano, the lagoon floor reaches 200 meters in depth—the lowest point in all of Central America. Considering how easy it is to reach the lagoon, it is surprisingly untouristed.
Despite its continued seismicity—a minor earthquake in 2000 under the crater-rim town of Catarina caused Apoyo’s water to slosh back and forth like a teapot and wrecked a few homes—for the most part the volcano is considered dormant, and a thick green forest has grown up the slopes over the years.
These slopes harbor a few hiking trails and are protected from further development by law. The crater hosts a few fish species found nowhere else on earth; scientists at the Proyecto Ecologico are studying them.
If you hike through the forests, expect to observe species of toucan, hummingbirds, blue jays, howler and white-face monkeys (which are prone to fling their feces at you if you approach), and rare butterflies. You will find very few places on earth quite like this charming, isolated community.
Getting to Laguna de Apoyo
Laguna de Apoyo is about a 20-minute ride from either Masaya or Granada, and about an hour from the airport in Managua. There are two paved roads that go up and over the crater lip and down to the water’s edge; one originates on Carretera Masaya, at a spot called el puentecito; the other branches off the Masaya–Catarina road. They join just before passing through the village of Valle de Laguna, where you’ll turn right at the T then make a quick left to begin your descent (pay a $1 entrance fee if driving). The road winds downward until the paved section ends exactly at the gate to former president Alemén’s vacation home.
Regular backpacker buses leave Hostel Oasis and the Bearded Monkey in Granada, charging about $10 return. Or share a taxi from Granada or Masaya for about $20.
Public buses headed for bajo al plan (i.e., lakefront) cost under $1 and leave the main Masaya market terminal at 10:30 a.m. and 3:10 p.m.; or you can hop one of the hourly buses for Valle de Laguna, then walk (30 minutes downhill) or wait for a stray taxi.
Mototaxis run between the puentecito and Valle de Laguna. Three public buses can get you back up the hill, leaving at 6 a.m., 11:10 a.m., and 4:40 p.m. (3 p.m. on Sunday is the last bus).
Written by
Nicaragua Spanish Schools
