Along the way to Granada, former capital of Nicaragua and old Spanish colonial city, we stopped off at a small town up on the mountain called Catarina. From the top of the mountain in Catarina you are able to look down onto a volcanic crater that last erupted some 23,000 years ago and has, in the interim, filled with water from natural springs and rain. The lagoon that it created is approximately 600 feet deep with a surface area of 2,110 hectares (5,214 acres).  It contains some of the clearest water known to exist in all of Central America. The water temperature is a balmy 80.6 to 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit year-round as there are some geothermal springs that feed the lagoon.

Although it does not contain a widely diverse population of fish, the lagoon is home to some interesting species.  There are four species of mojarras, which are found nowhere else in the world but this lagoon.  One of these species is the Arrow Mojarra (amphilophus zaliosus), only first discovered in 1976. More recently, three other species of mojarra, whose scientific and common names have yet to be defined, were also found in the lagoon.  Scientists think there may still be other endemic species in the lagoon yet to be discovered.

We didn’t make it to the shores of the lagoon on this trip but the view from Catarina was simply spectacular.  Not only could we see the entire lagoon from our mountain top perch but we could see all the way to Granada on the shores of Lake Nicaragua and beyond.  With a nice breeze and shade from the trees on the hillside it’s the kind of place where you could pack a picnic lunch with a cooler of beer and simply gaze all afternoon.  It is the perfect spot for dreamers and young sweethearts to spend an idle afternoon being mesmerized by the stunning beauty of Mother Nature.  Views of the nearby Mombacho Volcano are awe-inspiring with its cloud covered top.

If you seek peace and tranquility, you will find it in abundance here.

Tomorrow we plan to visit the Masaya Volcano, an active volcano, where you can walk up to the edge of the crater and look down into the abyss.  Wish us luck…!!!