Nicaragua Lake

For its size it is the second largest lake in Latin America after Maracaibo Lake in Venezuela, and above Titicaca Lake (about the same size) extending between Bolivia and Peru.

It is the only lake in the world that houses marine species such as sharks and sawfish. San Juan River serves as a drain connecting the Lake with the Caribbean Sea, and the river Tipitapa connects it with Lake Managua or Xolotlan.

The city of Granada and the volcano Mombacho are found in the northwestern shore of the lake.

The lake contains more than four islands, known as the islets of Granada and Solentiname, two large islands that are Zapatera Island and the Isle of Ometepe Island in the world's largest freshwater lake. And also have two volcanoes, one active, Volcan Concepcion and Volcan Maderas a sanctuary for flora and fauna.

The indigenous tribes that inhabited the lake called it Cocibolca (word of Nahuatl origin) and used it for many practical purposes: the fish supplied food and fresh water was used for drinking and cleaning. The water could also serve to irrigate crops and the many islands of the lake represented a good and safe area to live. The first Spanish conquerors who observed the lake thought this was an ocean of fresh water, and understandably so because it presents some peculiarities similar: relatively large waves, occasional severe storms and nothing but water on the horizon from many perspectives. This lake, one of the largest in Latin America and the tenth in the world, was for many years an important link between the interior of Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea, and the colonial city of Granada, located in the northwest of the lake was the first city established by the conquerors in Nicaragua in 1524. By modernizing the methods of transportation, the lake lost its importance as a link between the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, but its natural beauty and environmental importance are the qualities that give great importance for Nicaragua and Central America as a region.

Nicaragua Lake is part of the drainage basin of Central America's largest international, and along with Managua Lake and San Juan River forms a tectonic valley with an area of ​​over 41,000 km ². The lake isn't very deep, has only an average depth of 13 meters. The rains and the entry of many rivers feed the lake, and it drains the water only by the river San Juan. Despite its proximity to the Pacific Ocean (just 20 km away at some points), both have no connection. Moreover, the San Juan River connects the Lake itself with the Caribbean, located 100 km away.

There are currently four major ports on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, Granada, San Carlos, San Jorge and San Miguelito. Despite the size of the lake, its connections with the Caribbean Sea and its proximity to the Pacific coast, the transport system is poorly developed in reality.