Ancient Petroglyphs

There is a lot of evidence here of ancient civilizations. These mysterious rock drawings can be visited on foot from Selvista- we even have two on display in the kitchen! Contact us if you’d like to set up a guided tour with our bi-lingual guides to explore them in their natural habitat.

Ancient petroglyphs near Selvista Guesthouses

Many pre-Columbian petroglyphs have been uncovered and preserved here on Isla Ometepe. Many feature animals, such as turtles and monkeys, anthropomorphic creatures, people, and volcanoes.

People are represented with large ‘bowling-ball’ like heads.

Oue very own spiral, right here on Selvista's driveway

The spiral is a common theme among the discovered rock carvings. It’s said to represent volcanic energy and that is why the symbol of Ometepe is two spirals joined by the isthmus.

You can see many at Finca El Povenir or at Finca Magdalena, or view collections in people’s homes driving around Maderas.

pre-columbian petroglyphs on Isla Ometepe at Selvista's neighbouring Finca Magdalena

Excavations of certain areas on Maderas Volcano in 1995 uncovered over 17,000 rocks with carvings.

The OAP (Ometepe Archaeological Project) is continuously making new discoveries.