Nicaragua is dotted with 19 active volcanoes, many of them still spewing molten earth. It was, however, one of the extinct volcanoes that drew me out of bed my first morning in the country. Of all the activities on my Nicaraguan itinerary, the one I absolutely knew I wanted to do was visit the Laguna de Apoyo. I had heard from many sources that it was the highlight of many travelers. I wanted the chance to swim in the sapphire waters myself while I was there.

After a quick breakfast and a SIM card debacle, we were ready to make our way out to the Reserve that contains the lake. Unfortunately, we missed the shuttle that transports people, so we had to opt for a taxi. The taxi cost $20. We were bummed to spend so much of our cash so early into the trip. If we had went with more people, the taxi would have been a good deal. The ride from Granada took about 20 minutes, half on highway and half on steep, unpaved road.

At the recommendation of our hotel, we made our destination the Paradiso Hostel, but there are dozens of hotels along the lake and pretty much all of them offer some sort of day pass. The day pass at Paradiso Hostel costs $7 and includes use of all the grounds, the kayaks and complementary coffee all day! Upon check-in, I immediately made my way down to the beach, stripped to my bikini and jumped into the lake. It felt to refreshing.

I had heard that the water at Laguna de Apoyo was very warm.  It was comfortable to swim in, but it was not bath water the way I was expecting. After diving in, I immediately noticed that the water tasted sulphuric, which made sense. The lake is housed in a volcanic crater. Despite not being the temperature of bath water, the lake is still very comfortable considering how deep it is. The bottom of Laguna de Apoyo is the lowest spot in all of Central America. The water maintains its 25 degrees celsius with hot fumaroles. The beach next to Hostel Paradiso was comfortable to swim in, but there are some parts of the lake that are actually boiling!

I spent a long time just floating out in the water. It was so serene to just tread while looking back at the shore.  Eventually, I noticed my fingers had long since pruned, so I headed back to the beach. Hostel Paradiso had a bar right on the beach. After drying off, I grabbed a seat and ordered some fries and a smoothie. The food was inexpensive and pretty tasty.  After finishing my meal and digesting a little, I spent some time wandering and shooting the grounds.

The Hostel Paradiso is, as the name suggests, a paradise. Hotels and resorts dot the shore of Laguna de Apoyo. But Hostel Paradiso’s location tucked in a small cove makes it feel remote. The hostel offers yoga, massage and Spanish lessons. There is a patio on the same level as the reception with an unbeatable view of the lake sprawling out below. This is where you can treat yourself to the hotel’s coffee. Honestly, if I had known how amazing and enjoyable my time at Hostel Paradiso was going to be, I think I would have stayed overnight. People treat Laguna de Apoyo as a day trip. I would, however, recommend all visitors spend a night.

Sweating from exploring the grounds in the hot Nicaraguan sun, I returned to the beach for my second dip in the lake. This swim was even more idyllic than the morning one.  As I made my way into the water, clouds had started rolling in. The beach was covered in shadow, but about 100 ft out in the lake, the sun’s rays were peeking through. Just floating in the mineral-rich water soaking in the last few drops of sunshine of the day was one of my highlights from all of Nicaragua.

When I finished my swim, clouds had completely shrouded the sky.  It was time to return to Granada. Hostel Paradiso offers a shuttle service to Granada, but the day we were visiting, the bus was broken, so Hostel Paradiso was organizing taxis for groups of four. While waiting for our taxi, the skies opened. The next thing I knew I was running through the rain for cover. While the weather is nobody’s fault, the hotel offered us our choice of free bottled beverages. We grabbed some waters and got in the cab back to Granada. It had been a perfect day.