Museo El Ceibo

Ometepe has more than 1700 recorded petroglyphs and is famous for its pre-Columbian history and is renown as one of the most significant rock art areas in the world. There has also been thousands of clay artifacts dug up on the island, and this museum has the largest collection available. For US$5 you will receive a guided tour (In Spanish) of the museum and their beautiful hotel. They also include a free sampling of some traditionally made, authentic liqueurs, that they make on site. There is a second museum available here as well, for an additional fee, where you can see the history of currencies in Central America and specifically on the island. A must see for any history buff! The archeological section of Museums El Ceiba contains pieces of pottery, tools, weapons, funeral urns and a room thematically dedicated to the position of women in pre-Hispanic society. All items displayed here have been found on Ometepe Island, mostly close to the actual location of the museum in San Lazaro.

The second part of the museums is the numismatic section, in which you will find an exhibition of currencies used throughout Nicaraguan history, from gold and cacao to bills and coins as we know them today. The exhibition is in the order of a time line, ranging from the pre-Hispanic era to the present time. Numismatic Museum, Nicaragua's most comprehensive collection of bills and coins reaching back until pre-Columbian times.

History of Museums El Ceibo

Moses David Ghitis Rivera (Creator and Founder) began at age 12 (1976) to collect banknotes, coins and archaeological pieces which when his parents cultivated the land, agricultural implements unearthed such pieces, so they chose to collect and protect the Cultural Heritage of the Island of Ometepe sharing its collections with the public, transforming the rooms of a house into what are today Numismatic and Precolombino Museums, being inaugurated the 31 of March of 2007. This initiative was supported by friends who have donated pieces from different parts of the Island.

Ceibo became the only pre-Hispanic museum on the island of Ometepe and one of the largest museums in Nicaragua with the largest collection (it has a collection of more than 1,500 pre-Columbian pieces , Which are in permanent exhibition) and more recognized in Nicaragua.