🌊 Laguna de Apoyo Day Trip: My Honest Review & Tips

Laguna de Apoyo is a stunning, swimmable crater lake in Nicaragua that formed when a volcano erupted thousands of years ago. Using a clear rating system, I share my honest review of visiting it, along with firsthand tips.

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🍀 Lukiih’s Verdict

I highly recommend swimming in Laguna de Apoyo near Granada, Nicaragua.

• It’s a pleasantly warm and calm lake heated by geothermal activity and surrounded by untouched natural beauty.
• The lake is affordable, even after accounting for food, transportation, and a day pass.
• Very minimal preparation is required, as you can take a day trip there at the last minute.

Planning a trip? Here’s what to know about Nicaragua.

🏆 Where Does It Rank?

Laguna de Apoyo ranks as the #1 experience I had in Nicaragua. Here’s how it compares to other things I did on my trip:

	Experience	Location	Overall Rating
1	🌊 Laguna de Apoyo Day Trip	Granada	7.7
2	🏖️ Playa Mango	Ometepe	6.7
3	🏍️ Ometepe Scooter	Ometepe	6.3
4	💧 Cascada de San Ramón	Ometepe	6.1
5	⛪ Church of La Merced	Granada	5.9
6	🏊‍♂️ Ojo de Agua	Ometepe	5.7
7	🏄‍♀️ Playa Maderas Surfing	San Jual del Sur	5.7
8	🌋 Concepción Volcano Hike	Ometepe	5.6
9	🏖️ Playa Santo Domingo	Ometepe	5.6
10	🛶 Islets of Granada	Granada	5.5
11	🏄‍♀️ Playa Remanso Surfing	San Jual del Sur	5.4

My Nicaragua itinerary features the above experiences.

✈️ About My Trip

For context on my review, here’s what to know about my trip:

• I finance my trips and don’t receive sponsorship; this review reflects my honest opinions.
• I visited Laguna de Apoyo in late 2024.
• My Nicaragua trip was in October when it was transitioning from the low, rainy season to the high, dry season.

• Swimming in Laguna de Apoyo is a relatively rare experience. I estimate there are fewer than 30 volcanic crater lakes worldwide that are pristine, warm, and surrounded by beautiful nature.

• The experience is memorable because of how pleasant and beautiful the water and surrounding landscape are.
• If you visit one of the lake’s many lookout points, you’ll also get a stunning view during sunset. You can even see Mombacho Volcano in the distance on a clear day.

My Nicaragua trip planner has more tips on Laguna de Apoyo, including the location of the viewpoint I visited.

• Other warm, swimmable volcano craters exist, and they may be even more impressive. Lake Toba in Indonesia is the largest, and Lake Coatepeque in El Salvador looks quite similar.

• Although the water is not crystal clear, swimming in Laguna de Apoyo is delightful. It’s warm, and you don’t feel grimy afterward as it’s freshwater.
• You have the option to relax or be active. The resorts or hostels along the lake provide amenities like table games, kayaking, paddle boarding, floating tubes, lounging chairs, etc. I spent over an hour diving into the lake from a floating dock.

• Enjoyment of the lake is weather-dependent. Towards the end of my day trip, at around 4:30 pm, the weather changed rapidly from sunny to cold and rainy, so swimming wasn’t as pleasant.
• It’s not a particularly rewarding experience (i.e., there are no challenges to overcome) because it’s primarily a place to enjoy and relax.

Visiting Laguna de Apoyo as a day trip costs between $25 and $55. I spent $30 when I visited. Here’s how the costs break down:

• 🚘 Transportation: $10-$25 round-trip – This depends on your transportation type and whether you can split it with others. A private taxi starts at $25 round-trip. Some hostels provide group shuttles for as low as $10 round-trip. I paid $14 for a taxi and was able to split it with another person (it was $28 total).

If you prefer a hassle-free experience with less planning, consider booking a Laguna de Apoyo tour that includes transportation and visiting Masaya Volcano, where you can potentially see lava.

• 🎟️ Day pass: $5-$10 total – To access the lake, visitors need to pay for a day pass at one of the accommodations on the lake. Based on a local’s recommendation, I went to Paradiso and paid $7.
• 🥗 Food: $10-$20 per meal – Food is expensive in the accommodations, and visitors don’t have alternative places to eat. I spent $9 on a small salad.

You can pack your own food to save on costs.

See my Nicaragua trip expenses.

• Many places offer life jackets or floatation equipment, so you don’t need to know how to swim. No endurance is required unless you’re trying to swim, kayak, or paddleboard far into the lake, which is ~4 miles in diameter.
• Laguna de Apoyo is located only 30 minutes from Granada. You can easily book a shared shuttle, private taxi, or tour to get to the lake.
• You can buy a last-minute day pass at the entrance to access the lake. Advanced reservation is only needed for Laguna de Apoyo tours. Bring a swimsuit and your own towel, as most places charge for towels.

For more detailed tips on my experience, check out my trip planner below.