A Sleep Over on a Volcano Side
What Finca Magdalena does not provide at the diner table, it delivers in sights and experiences. Rarely have Jess and I been in such exotic settings. Our little cottage basks in the early rays of the sun while butterflies are dancing in the flower bed by our window and the howler monkeys are screaming their morning territorial calls. I open an eye onto Volcano Concepcion in the distance, gathering all the energy it will take to climb Volcano Maderas on the side of which we slept last night.
Finca Magdalena’s Accommodation
Finca Magdalena’s level of accommodation vary fully according to budget. Whereas, as customary in our travels, we chose a matrimonial bedroom with private bathroom down from the main lodge, there is also find plenty of dorm space and single rooms.
The room itself was splendid, a flower welcoming us on our bed, and the separation from the main lodge adds to the ethereal atmosphere. That and the late night encounter with a horse in front of the cabin, from which I thought Jess would never recover.
On the main patio, you can swing on a hammock was gazing across the fields at a volcano. We were enirely mesmerized by the charms of the place.
Where Are The Fresh Produces?
The food is less than spectacular, particularly for a farm harvesting their own produce but for a few days it sufficed. When my sweet tooth called, we found under the direction of Benji some delicious organic chocolate bars on our -long long- way up to the Finca itself, in one of the tiendas on the path side.
Hiking Volcano Maderas from Finca Magdalena
I understand that the best point of entry for the hike up Volcano Madeira is via Finca Magdalena. This could very well be true, it does not make this hike any easier. At 7 hours, its length is appropriate for a day. In the short 4 hour of ascension, we had to conquer the 1400 meters of the peak and to do so, the hiking path itself is definitely steep. Thankfully a serious and knowledgeable guide hired from Finca Magdalena took us all the way to the lake filled crater, very respectable of the different paces in our small group of six hikers. Jess and I did manage to take one of our most glorious naps in the crater at the top. One of the aforementioned chocolate bars also made our recovery much quicker.
Ometepe Petroglyphs
A shorter hike in Finca Magdalena, still at a decent incline, led us to some of the petroglyphs of Ometepe. These boulders sculpted by the Chorotegas and Niquiranos around 4th century A.D. are disseminated across the property and depict spirals, turtles, and prehistoric animals.
