Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The largest lake in Central America (and all of Latin America) is Lake Nicaragua (Spanish: Lago de Nicaragua), also known as Lago Cocibolca or Gran Lago. It covers ~8,264 km² (3,191 sq mi), stretches 160 km (100 mi) long, and contains over 400 islands, including the famous volcanic Ometepe Island. It drains via the San Juan River to the Caribbean Sea. The lake is unique for hosting oceanic species like bull sharks and sawfish that adapted to freshwater.