Climb Maderas volcano

With its twin peaks rising like beacons over Lake Nicaragua, Ometepe is the largest freshwater island in the world.

If you enjoy a challenge this invigorating hike to the top of one of the two volcanoes that together form the island could easily be the highlight of your stay here. It takes around four hours of trekking through muddy terrain to reach the summit and a couple more to get down, but even before you get the chance to admire the view from the top the rewards are plentiful. There are myriad species of tropical plants, birds and animals, as well as iridescent butterflies that flutter past as you forge your way up the forested hillside.