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  • 9th April 2016

Moments in Mesoamerica: Top 5 Travel Experiences in Nicaragua (Part 1)

Since my days leading trips to Nicaragua since the early 2000s, my passion for Nicaragua has continued to grow and I'm thrilled to see this emerging eco-destination back on the adventure-travel radar. What first struck me during early visits was how undeveloped and authentic the country was. It was like traveling back in time with ox-drawn carts in the country side, the colonial charm of Granada with its horse-drawn carriage rides, getting out into the pulsing rainforests vibrant with life, and rappelling through canyons, so deep and so quiet it could take your breath away. Most places seem to grow and change over the years, as you return, but what amazes me about Nicaragua is you still feel like you are seeing what Central America was like 30 years ago. Nicaragua is advancing with improved infrastructure and many more tourism services. Don’t wait…now is a fantastic time to visit since access to remote areas is much quicker with new roads but no crowds. The “undiscovered” places are now much easier to reach. You get all the wild pleasures and treasures of its neighbors with half the crowds! I truly love the volcanoes and remote lakes and the Rio San Juan, bordered by primordial rainforest—and at the heart you find the glistening waters of Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca). Recently I had a conversation with a Mexican colleague from Chiapas – home to Classic Maya sites like Palenque, superb rain and cloud forests. She asked me (somewhat envious and puzzled), “What’s the deal with Nicaragua?” I responded “it’s the warm and open-hearted people!” Today I work closely with Nicaragüenses who live and work in the sustainable tourism industry in Nicaragua and our top travel tip is to get there now before the crowds do. So I challenged our Nicaragua team to come up with the Top 5 Nica List.

We hope that our list highlights some overlooked areas and new perspectives on the more popular destinations from the perspective of local people. We struggled on this first list of only 5 places. We cheated a little with having multiple activities at each destination. We hope you enjoy our “local perspective” and you have an epic experience in Nicaragua.

 

Our best places to visit in Nicaragua are...Top 5 Travel Experiences in Nicaragua  (Part 1)

Our bias: We focus on developing sustainable tourism activities that benefit local communities and natural areas. To go from great to epic we recommend that you visit:

 

  1. Rio San Juan (Nature & Violent History)
    Sabalos Lodge, Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve, El Castillo
    This is a rainforest experience. Following the Rio San Juan from San Carlos, the gallery forests harbor monkeys, parrots, and shorebirds. Overnight at the Sabalos Lodge, part of the Private Nature Reserve Network of Nicaragua. From your veranda you can observe River Otters, Howler Monkeys, Caiman and large fresh water turtles, not to mention many species of birds. Hiking in Indio Maiz Biosphere you walk through primary evergreen lowland forests famous for two species of poison dart frogs and Great Green Macaws. The fort of El Castillo captures the colonial history of Nicaragua.
     
  2. Ometepe (Nature & History)
    Finca San Juan de la Isla, Hiking Maderas Volcano, Ojo de Agua, Money & pre-Columbian Museums
    Mesoamerican cultures have a common story of a mythical place called Tula or place between two mountains. Ometepe was considered a possibility as the volcanoes of Concepcion and Maderas form the island. The pre-Columbian artifacts leave a rich pre-Columbian history. The serenity of Finca San Juan and the trails on the hotel grounds make this the perfect escape. Nearby Maderas Volcano has several access points, waterfalls, and rock art. The two museums are next to each other, and together give a great history of the island and Nicaragua.
     
  3. Zapatera Island (Nature & pre-Columbian History)
    The pre-Columbian history of Zapatera is similar to Ometepe, but on a smaller scale and with its own twists, like the divining designs of Isla del Muerto. There is a beautiful private beach with plenty of hammocks and outstanding food that make this one of best day-trip options from Granada. Hiking to the nearby lagoon, rumored to hold the pre-Columbian gold stash of Nicarao, is easy and includes smearing yourself with the therapeutic mud and then a quick swim.
     
  4. Selva Negra (Sustainability & Community Tourism)
    Finca Tour & Horseback riding at La Fundadora
    Getting well off the international tourist routes, this gem of a resort is located in the northern mountains of Matagalpa. Excellent trails make accessing the cloud forests easy. Most impressive is the finca tour and learn about Selva Negra’s commitment to sustainability and also learn a bunch about coffee production. In the afternoon take a horseback ride from the nearby community of La Fundadora and see rural Nicaragua on horseback. Great vistas and many options for different trails.
     
  5. Arribadas at La Flor Wildlife Refuge (Nature)
    One of nature’s spectacles when thousands of Olive Ridley Sea Turtles arrive in one night! If you time it right, you can watch turtles laying eggs and also hatchlings making the long journey to the sea.

 

  • Don’t Wait – Nicaragua is a quickly developing country and what today has low visitation, tomorrow may be crowded.
     
  • Immerse – if you like volcanoes, hike 3 or 4; if you like birdwatching go to ebird.org and download some recent checklists, visit multiple locations/habitats. The more passionately you pursue your interests the higher likelihood you’ll meet local experts.
     
  • Enjoy – be in the moment and not worrying about tomorrow’s logistics. Find your pace (not too much) and enjoy!

Start planning your epic trip to Nicaragua today!

So this was Part I, and with Part II, unless you’ve spent significant time in the country you’ll need to pull out a good Nicaragua map.  Hasta pronto!

Mark Willuhn is the Executive Director for a regional sustainable tourism non-profit called Alianza Mesoamericana de Ecoturismo (AME). You can follow him and AME members at www.exploremesoamerica.com and on Twitter @ExploreMeso

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