Ometepe Day Tour from San Juan del Sur: Realistic Itinerary

In this guide

Yes, Ometepe works as a day trip from San Juan del Sur if you leave early and build the day around the ferry. The crossing from San Jorge to Moyogalpa is 17 km and takes 60 minutes. With a private vehicle on both sides you can see Ojo de Agua, the lower slopes of Concepción and Charco Verde, and be back in town for dinner.

What fits in one day

Ometepe is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, nominated in 2010, with two volcanoes: Concepción, 1,610 m and still active, and Maderas, 1,394 m. The island covers 53,860 hectares of land and has about 29,684 residents. You cannot see all of it in a day. What you can do is cover the Concepción side well: the spring pools at Ojo de Agua, the farms and old lava slopes below the volcano, and the Charco Verde lagoon with its forest and howler monkeys.

A group of visitors posing on an airstrip with Concepción volcano clear behind them — Travelers in front of Concepción volcano, Ometepe · Photo: Monkeys Travels & Tours

The limiting factor is the ferry. Everything below is built around the first and last departures published for 2026.

Port of Moyogalpa on Ometepe Island — Photo: jessicadally · CC BY-SA 2.0 · commons.wikimedia.org

The itinerary, step by step

Pickup in San Juan del Sur. We leave early. The road from San Juan del Sur to Rivas follows the old 12-mile transit route, which an August 1851 letter cited by the Maritime Heritage Project still described as only a mule road, and from Rivas we continue to the pier at San Jorge. The exact pickup time goes in your written confirmation, because it depends on which ferry we are aiming for.
Ferry from San Jorge to Moyogalpa. 17 km and 60 minutes across Lake Nicaragua. According to the 2026 timetable published by ometepenicaragua.com, the first departure from San Jorge is at 7:00 (El Che) and the last at 17:45 (Ferry III), with departures spread through the day. The passenger fare is C$50 according to Sunset Viaje (September 2026, seen November 3, 2026). Your ferry tickets are included in the Monkeys price.
Lower slopes of Concepción. On the island a vehicle takes you along the base of the volcano. This is farmland and old lava flows, with the cone above you for most of the morning. We do not climb: the summit hike is a separate tour of 8 to 10 hours.
Ojo de Agua. Natural spring pools in the forest. Entry for foreigners is reported at around US$10 in recent visits (reports seen November 3, 2026), often with part of it usable as credit for food and drink; confirm the price at the gate. Bring a swimsuit.
Charco Verde. A lagoon in the community of San José del Sur, between Charco Verde beach and Bacón beach, looking out to the islet El Quiste. A sign at the entrance reads Reserva Biosfera Charco Verde. The forest around the lagoon is where we most often hear and see howler monkeys. It is also the setting of the Chico Largo legend, which we tell in a separate guide.
Return ferry. Departures from Moyogalpa run between 5:30 and 17:30. We aim for an afternoon boat with margin, not the last one. Back on the mainland the vehicle is waiting at San Jorge and we drive you to San Juan del Sur.

Ferry schedules change

Three things to know before you count on a specific boat:

Silver van parked on a lake dock, with two ferries and passengers with motorbikes waiting at the ramp — At the Ometepe ferry dock · Photo: Monkeys Travels & Tours

The timetable above is the one published for 2026. Boats are added, removed and retimed during the year. We check the day's schedule at the pier, and you should do the same if you go on your own.
The same source states that the ferry schedule is the same on holidays. The small lanchas, however, do not operate on Sundays. On a Sunday you depend on the larger ferries only, so there are fewer departures to choose from.
Vehicles must be reserved in advance. With Monkeys you cross as a foot passenger and we arrange the transport on the island, so this does not affect your day.

Doing it on your own

It is possible without a tour. The bus from Rivas to San Juan del Sur costs 40 córdobas according to Destinationless Travel (April 2025 update, seen November 3, 2026), and from Rivas you need a taxi to the San Jorge pier. The ferry is C$50 per passenger. On the island you then need transport between Moyogalpa, Ojo de Agua and Charco Verde, and you have to be back at the Moyogalpa pier before the last boat. The connections, not the prices, are what usually eat the day.

What to bring

Identification.
Swimsuit and a small towel for Ojo de Agua.
Cash in córdobas and small US dollar bills for entries, lunch and snacks. Card acceptance on the island is limited.
Sunscreen, hat and insect repellent for the Charco Verde trail.
Closed shoes or sandals with a strap. The trails are uneven.
A refillable bottle. Water is included in the tour.

Meals are not included in the Monkeys price. We stop for lunch at a local comedor and you pay for what you order.

Price comparison, as of November 3, 2026

Published prices for an Ometepe day tour from San Juan del Sur, checked on November 3, 2026. Third-party prices change; check the operator's page before comparing.

Operator	Published price	Duration
Ticketbellas	from US$89	about 8 hours
Happy Tours (via Expedia)	US$81 per adult	9 hours
Green Expeditions (via Travelocity)	US$80	not stated
Monkeys Travels & Tours	from US$55 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$95 solo	full day

The Monkeys price includes a private guide, transport from San Juan del Sur or Rivas to the port, ferry tickets and water. It does not include meals, tips or travel insurance. For groups of 2 or 3, or larger than 6, we quote by WhatsApp at +505 8506 1173.

What Monkeys does

Monkeys Travels & Tours is a private tour operator based in Rivas, founded in 2018 by Everth Palma, who was born and raised here. The Ometepe day tour is private: your group only, never mixed with other travelers.

Pickup in San Juan del Sur or Rivas in a private vehicle.
Bilingual bilingual guides born in Rivas.
Ferry tickets bought and included.
Transport on the island arranged by us.
WhatsApp contact during the tour. We answer in under an hour, every day from 7:00 to 20:00.
Written confirmation of the price and what is included.
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before departure.

If you have a second day

The Concepción summit hike takes 8 to 10 hours and does not fit in a day trip. We run it as a separate tour from US$75 per person (groups of 4 to 6); US$130 solo. See the Ometepe Concepción Summit Hike. A night on the island also gives you time for the Maderas side.

Questions we get every week

How long is the ferry from San Jorge to Ometepe?

The crossing from San Jorge to Moyogalpa is 17 km and takes about 60 minutes. The 2026 timetable lists a first departure at 7:00 and a last one at 17:45 from San Jorge, with departures spread through the day. Schedules change during the year, so we check the day's departures at the pier.

Can I do Ometepe as a day trip from San Juan del Sur?

Yes. With an early start you take a morning ferry, visit Ojo de Agua, the lower slopes of Concepcion and Charco Verde, and return on an afternoon boat. The summit hike does not fit: it is a separate tour of 8 to 10 hours that needs its own day on the island.

How much does the Ometepe day tour cost with Monkeys?

From US$55 per person for groups of 4 to 6, and US$95 for one person traveling alone. That includes a private guide, transport to the port, ferry tickets and water. Meals, tips and travel insurance are not included. Competitors listed US$80 to US$89 as of November 3, 2026.

Do the Ometepe ferries run on Sundays?

The larger ferries follow the same published schedule every day, including holidays, according to ometepenicaragua.com. The small lanchas do not operate on Sundays, so there are fewer departures to choose from. If your only free day is a Sunday, tell us when you book and we plan the day around the ferry timetable.

Sources

Every figure in this guide comes from one of these pages, checked on the date shown above.