Off the shores of San Carlos, approximately 25 kilometers to the west, lies Solentiname, an archipelago made up of 36 islets in Lake Nicaragua or Lake Cocibolca, a place that captivates everyone with its natural enchantment.
The islands have a rich geography, history and ecosystem, which have served as inspiration for many painters and poets; it is also home to a diverse species of birds, reptiles, flora and friendly people.
If you want to take some stress off or disconnect yourself from your everyday routine and enjoy nature, this is the best place for you.
Find out how to get to Solentiname and what to do.
How to get to Solentiname?
If you are in Managua and you don’t have a private vehicle, then you have to take the bus that travels from El Mayoreo terminal to San Carlos. It leaves at 12:00 midnight and 5:00 am, and the fare is C$ 220 (about 5.99 dollars) per person.
Once in San Carlos, you will have to take a boat. The price of the ticket is C$ 100 (US$ 2.70) and it departs on Tuesdays and Fridays at 5:00 a.m. from Mancarrón Island and from San Carlos port at 1:00 p.m.
The tourist cruise of the National Port Company is also another option to visit Solentiname. It travels from Thursday to Tuesday, leaving San Carlos at 9:00 a.m. and returning at 3:00 p.m. from Mancarrón Island. For this journey, you pay C$ 150 (about 4.9 dollars) per person.
Sailing along Cocibolca Lake, you will be able to see some of the islands that make up this archipelago. The boat docks first at San Fernando Island and finally at Mancarrón. The trip lasts approximately one hour and 40 minutes.
Recommendations?
In Solentiname there are a variety of hostels where you can spend the night and explore the tourist offer of the archipelago.
Some activities to do alone or with family and friends are sport or artisanal fishing, bird and reptile watching, hiking, visit to the Artists’ Workshop House, the Alejandro Guevara Silva Archeology Museum or the Nuestra Señora de Solentiname Church, and seeing petroglyphs.