At Moyogalpa’s port, the island’s connection to Ometepe is reflected in a large, water-surrounded replica of the island. The ferry port is also the main gateway to Ometepe. Hotels, hostels and other tourist services can also be found at Moyogalpa’s ferry port. Nearby, a sand spit and agricultural farms offer other reasons to visit, while houses and patron saint festivals add a cultural dimension.

Arriving and finding accommodation at the ferry port

Visitors arrive daily at the ferry port from various places. Taxis, motorcycle taxis, hotels, hostels, restaurants and small shops serving tourists directly are available there. The port area is a convenient reference point for finding a hotel or hostel if you want to consider accommodation and other visitor services together.

Muelle de Moyogalpa is an L-shaped reinforced-concrete pier that extends about 40 meters from the lakeshore into the water. Two adjacent structures accommodate larger vessels, including ferries. At the southern entrance to the pier, the port complex’s roundabout features the Fuente de los dos volcanes: a large, scale replica of Ometepe Island surrounded by water.

Sand spit and nearby farms

Punta Jesús María, also known as Punta de la Paloma, is located near Moyogalpa. As the water level falls, the sand forms a road-like spit in the lake. In the area, you can walk, observe the vegetation and wildlife, picnic, swim and camp. The landscape of the sand spit is explicitly dependent on the water level.

Finca María Andrea is in the community of La Concepción, three kilometers from Moyogalpa. Visitors can learn about daily farm work alongside farmers and find out more about growing plantains, staple grains, vegetables, legumes, coffee and ornamental plants. Finca Samaria is in the community of Los Ángeles, five kilometers from Moyogalpa. There, visitors can milk cows, make their own cheese, tour the farm and enjoy the beach.

The two farms have different focuses: María Andrea highlights daily work and the cultivation of various crops, while Samaria combines hands-on farm activities with a visit to the beach. In each case, the distance is measured from Moyogalpa and indicates the location of the destination, not the travel time.

Architecture and patron saint festivals

Some wooden hacienda-style houses in Moyogalpa feature vernacular architecture influenced by early 20th-century North American architecture. At the municipal level, the house of Doña Azucena Guillén is considered the oldest. It is two stories high, was built more than 75 years ago and retains its original all-wood construction in its entirety. Thus, several houses share a common stylistic influence, while one particular house has its own history of age and construction.

An official cultural description lists Moyogalpa’s patron saint festivals in honor of Santa Ana as a tradition and gives the dates as July 16–26. The events described include a morning procession through the town’s streets with fireworks, as well as the dance of the Inditas. If you want to include the festivals in your travel plans, check the dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Escamequita, El Astillero, San Jorge, Cárdenas, Rivas, El Gigante, San Juan Del Sur, Altagracia

Go to the main travel overview: Rivas.