Tag: hiking

Things to Do in San Juan del Sur: Cristo de La Misercordia

There are a few things to do in San Juan del Sur besides visit the beach – although the beaches are lovely! After one week, I’ve visited places that are tops on tourist lists, and some that aren’t. One of the first sites I visited was the statue of Cristo de la Misercordia, who sits 134 meters up on a hill overlooking the Pacific ocean.

Estatue de Cristo de la Misercordia

A pretty easy walk up a mostly paved road, or you can drive most of the way if you choose, the view is worth the hike. You can walk right from the beach of Playa del Sur through a residential neighborhood to the top. The site of the Christ statue offers a 360 view of the main town beach and more. Admission cost is $2. There is even a little chapel in the bottom of the statue!

It was interesting checking out the spot. According to the display in the church, the statue is quite new and was only completed in 2009.  They did a good job because this is definitely a tourist attraction! Lots of tourists go, and apparently Jimmy Carter and his wife went a few years ago (there’s a photo of them in the chapel).

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Day 7: Iceland Geo Thermal Activity Gets the Thumbs Up from Us

This morning was amazing! We woke up at the Kerlingarfjöll campsite to find that we were not alone. Brian got to talking to a man who we think was the owner of the place. Very Northern, and very understated, he suggested we drive up the hill and see the geothermals. Wow! Are we glad we did. Iceland geo thermal activity at Hveradalir was impressive, surprising, amazing, and many other adjectives. Brian said it was in his Top 5s of Iceland (not sure what the other 4 are: probably 4 hot pots) and it definitely made my day. After that, it is going to be hard to top.

about the iceland Geo thermal activity

So what about the geo thermals was amazing? Well, once we drove to the top of the hill, it was time to hike. Kerlingarfjöll is part of a volcanic mountain range, so we hiked through landscapes unlike anything we’d seen before. We could see glaciers in the distance, but we were among hills and flowing water, flowing HOT water which was bubbling and steaming and smelled sulfuric. It was really otherworldly, and we were the only ones there. We just kept stopping for photos and saying “wow.”

There was also what in better weather must be a hot pot but wasn’t too hot or full of water at the moment. If you go to Iceland and have 4WD this is a must stop! Even with rain and wind, this hike was one of the favorite things we did all week. WOW to geothermals!

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Taking a Break in Guatape

People from Medellin know where to go for their weekend breaks: Guatapé. This beautiful lakeside town is located just a short 90 minute bus ride from the city. We took the bus, which was relatively painless and on time, and joined the Colombians on a break in Guatape.

Guatape overview

Guatapé sits on a man-made reservoir built in the 1960s by the hydro-electric company, and offers water sports opportunities. Another draw is the town’s beautiful colorful art decorations. For hikers, the town’s giant rock called El Peñon is a popular climb featuring beautiful views of the water and mountains.

Where to stay in guatapé

Yesterday afternoon, the bus dropped us right across the street from our hostel, Mi Casa, which is a lovely spot outside of town, overlooking the water and El Peñon. The owners, Suzy and Sean, are German and English and couldn’t be nicer!

Hiking el peñon

Since the hostel is walking distance from the rock, that was our first “Must do” activity while taking a break in Guatape. It was a sweaty climb up the 650+ steps to the top but wow the views were worth it! Glad we got a warm-up hike in Bogota.

El Penon in Guatape
El Peñol – look at those stairs!
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