Zapatera Island
Parque Nacional Archipiélago Zapatera
The second-largest island in Lake Nicaragua, a forested dormant volcano with pre-Columbian rock carvings and stone sculpture sites scattered across it.
Zapatera Island lies in the lake about 20 km south of Granada. It is a dormant volcano covered in tropical dry forest. On the island and the nearby small island of El Muerto are many pre-Columbian rock carvings, stone sculptures, and burial sites. Many of the basalt statues in the Convent of San Francisco in Granada came from here. The island has very few facilities, so you need to charter a boat through a Granada travel agency with a guide. The boat trip takes about an hour, the visit is a full day, and you should bring your own water and sun protection.
Opening hours
Private boat charter by reservation; day trips only
Nearby sights
- Mombacho Volcano Natural Reserve
- Las Isletas
- Malecón & Centro Turístico
- Iglesia de Guadalupe
- Calle La Calzada
- Granada Cathedral
- Parque Central (Parque Colón)
- Convento y Museo San Francisco