Isletas de Granada

When the Mombacho volcano in

Nicaragua

blew its cone some 20,000 years ago, it spewed debris into a lake and created, by coincidence, 365 islands. Today, the islands offer a beautiful excursion into the lake.

The islets range in size between 100 square meters and over 100 hectares. The wild nature, resident birds and visitors, and the day-a-day routine of the locals make it an ideal place for a boat ride or kayaking. Most are covered in vegetation and are occupied with private homes and hotels. Some of the bigger islands are home to resorts equipped with pools and their own electric power source.

Lake Nicaragua, also known as Cocibolca, is the largest freshwater lake in Central America. Geologists believe that it, along with the nearby Lake

Managua

, was once part of an ocean bay but a volcanic eruption led to a change in the landscape that cut them off from the coast. The Isletas de Granada are those on the northwest shore, closest to the city of Granada.