Top Things to do in Rivas Department
Top Hotels in Rivas Department
- 1. Morgan's Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge
- 2. Aqua Oceanfront Resort and Residences at Redonda Bay
- 3. Hotel Victoriano
- 4. La Veranera - Playa El Coco
- 5. Selina Maderas
- 6. El Jardin Hotel and Restaurant
- 7. HC Liri Hotel
- 8. Xalli Ometepe Beach Hotel
- 9. Magnific Rock - Surf Resort & Yoga Retreat
- 10. Surf Ranch Hotel & Resort
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The 10 Best Things to do in Rivas Department, Rivas Department
Discover the best top things to do in Rivas Department, Nicaragua including Latin American Spanish School, Volcan Concepcion, Volcan Maderas, Mirador del Cristo de la Misericordia, La Flor Beach Natural Reserve, Cascada de San Ramon, Playa Hermosa, Ojo de Agua, Punta Jesus Maria, Laguna Charco Verde.
Restaurants in Rivas Department
1. Latin American Spanish School
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 95 reviews
Latin American Spanish School is a non profit company, the owners are teachers from San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua with more than 19 years of teaching Spanish like second language. We offer many different courses for all levels, beginner to advanced, and special courses for professionals, travelers, investors, children and more. Come and learn Spanish living like a Nicaraguan people in a nica-families, knowing and living our culture affected for many years for the U.S.A policy!
Reviewed By Odyssey780638
Vanessa, best teacher, came to our camp - Rapture - to give us an excellent introduction into the Spanisch language, Nicaraguan culture, traditions and food (Nacatamales...Mmh...delicious)...and Merengue dance... naturaleza barbara...cocina deliciosa...familia muy importante...un país adorable...la gente mas amable... we are looking forward to our next stay!!! We can't wait! Thank you so much, Vanessa...muchas gracias... Hasta luego! Beatriz y Teresa de Alemania
2. Volcan Concepcion
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 279 reviews
Reviewed By cbaldwin023 - New York City, United States
Great hike about 12 miles in total (19km). Started @7am and finished around 3pm with my guide Danilo Flores. I greatly enjoyed doing the hike with him as he offered much guidance and ensured we went the safest routes and made it to the crater of the volcano unlike other guides who would cheat their clients out of making it to the crater. On the hike you start out going through farmland and then progress into basically the jungle where you encounter howler and capuchin monkeys. Next up is a very loose rocky terrain that requires good footwear. To reach the summit of Concepción with a peak elevation of 5280ft (1600m) requires some great focus and maneuvering that Danilo assist with. When we reached the crater we were hit with very strong winds and low visibility but was well worth it. Going down was tricky, due to the loose rocks, but was was fun sliding down and planning each step looking for the most stable rock to land on. We stoped for lunch on the way down and had a great view of the Ometepe and the Lake. This hike was well worth it and I’d love to do it again. Danilo’s contact info is +50583647211 through WhatsApp and he is completely fluent in English and also offers scooter rentals for a great price to travel around the island on your own
3. Volcan Maderas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 331 reviews
The last eruption from this dormant volcano was 10,000 years ago.
Reviewed By lifeinthetopbunk - Philadelphia, United States
Volcan Maderas is covered in forest, which makes it a great place to hike if you burn easily! The top 300-400 meters are cloud forest; we couldn't see anything on the way up because it was too cloudy, but luckily on the way down, the clouds broke, and we got magnificent views of Concepción, the isthmus, and the lake. Like most hikes in tropical regions, this is tough. It involves getting very muddy and climbing, ducking, crawling, and rappelling to get to the crater. If you're the sort of person who enjoys those things, this is a fabulous hike. We hired a guide, which I think is necessary; while there is one main trail once you get onto it, there are lots of misleading paths on the way to that trail and no signs. Our guide was funny, considerate, and patient with our lackluster Spanish skills. I highly recommend him if you're in the Merida area! His name is Simeon, and his number is +505 (83) 26 36 61. The hike took us 8.5 hours (including a half hour lunch break), and we walked directly up a path from Merida, so no transportation was required. All in all, a challenging but fantastic experience.
4. Mirador del Cristo de la Misericordia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 565 reviews
Reviewed By cteyedoc - Branford, United States
What a GREAT view of SJDS and it only cost $2. Jesus was also pretty COOL ???? Lots of steps and very steep if your hiking. We took Gaby transport which was a good deal and only had to walk up from the parking lot.
5. La Flor Beach Natural Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 105 reviews
Reviewed By mirko_0123
We went on the Turtle Tour with Irvin Chévez who has a lot of knowledge of the area and knows all about the turtles. The Tour starts in San Juan del Sur and it takes 50 min. by car to go to La Flor. We released some baby turtles and were lucky enough to see some big ones coming to lay their eggs. Irvin cares a lot about the turtles and knows when it is necessary to switch of the torches, so the turtles are not disturbed. Also the pick up was on time. +505 8452 5141 contact him via this number
6. Cascada de San Ramon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 173 reviews
Reviewed By 261alanak - Calgary, Canada
Drove past the exit 3 time's as the signage isn't great. Once we found it we were very happy we didn't hike the whole way. The first part of the hike looked long and boring. We rented a quad and then hiked the rest. The was wasn't difficult, but it also wasn't easy. Take good shoes with you, and water. We stopped lots along the way and took our time to hangout in nature. The waterfall was beautiful and a lot bigger than I thought. You can take a quick dip, which I recommend. Bring a towel and snacks and enjoy.
7. Playa Hermosa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By 236martinak - Prague, Czech Republic
Our most favorite beach in SJDS area. Long sandy beach with gentle vawes and great facilities (even showers) provided by Eco Lodge and local restaurant.Lot of hammocks, large sitting area in a shade. There is something so calming about this place.Three dollars entrance is worthy.
8. Ojo de Agua
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,054 reviews
Ojo de Agua is a Natural Spring swimming hole where you can swim and relax in clear, pure, medicinal and healthy fresh water of volcanic origin. This is a place to enjoy the environment surrounded by Nature with lots of birds, butterflies, squirrels, iguanas, and many trees all around. While you are here you can also have meals, cocktails or just coconut water, and you can have a banana tour or ride a horse. Welcome.
Reviewed By vintagepaper - Annapolis Royal, Canada
We went to Ojo de Agua by scooter from Playa Santa Domingo. You can also get there by local bus but there is a long beautiful lane you must walk if you go that way. It is beautifully set up and the mineral waters are very clean and fresh and flowing constantly. There’s a lot of stuff there. Restaurant, cafe, bathrooms, changing rooms, bar and a walk through a banana plantation. There were lots of tourists and locals there when we were there and we were told that on weekends it is full of local families and much more busy. The feeling of the place was soothing and green and the water fresh and the perfect temperature to cool down in. The tarzan swing was fun to watch too! We found the amenities a little more pricey than elsewhere so take some snacks if you’re on a budget. There is a sign in the entrance asking people not to wear sunscreen or bug dope as it kills the fish, but as there were no showers to rinse it off most people were ignoring that. We didn’t wear sunscreen and got a little sunburned so be aware of that. A truly beautiful place to relax and refresh. On the way back we saw both howler and capuccino monkeys on or near the road.
9. Punta Jesus Maria
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 190 reviews
Reviewed By Juanrobert808 - Toronto, Canada
This was a beautiful place to watch the sunset. It's a thin stretch of beach maybe 10 meters wide that extends out into the lake creating a division in the water. We stayed at La Punta Resort that is a five minute walk away. We only stayed one night but two nights would have been better in order to do more on the island.
10. Laguna Charco Verde
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 236 reviews
Reviewed By vintagepaper - Annapolis Royal, Canada
Charco Verde was one of the first places we visited on Ometepe. We took a local bus both ways from Moyogalpa, which was a lovely experience on it’s own if you like mixing with locals. There is a pretty walk around the Laguna but don’t count on swimming in it. There were howler monkeys with their babies all along the path. If you hear them before you see them they sound loud and fierce like a lion and you won’ be able to believe the sounds come from such small creatures. Our favourite part was the butterfly enclosure with the turtle pond inside. It was stunningly beautiful inside and the butterflies were abundant. We enjoyed watching the turtles too. It was super educational as there was English signage with tons of butterfly information. I learned a lot. Staff were friendly and the lane into it was a pretty walk from the main road. Shaded bus stop on the road made waiting pleasant as local cattle drawn carts and all manner of life passed by. Another good Ometepe experience.
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