Nicaragua is one of our favorite places! Active volcanoes, a rugged and wild Pacific coast and Tropical Rainforests full of Birds and Monkeys and all sorts of interesting creatures. Granada is the oldest city in the Americas having been established in 1524. In Nicaragua we love taking the “chicken bus” because the locals are so very wonderful to spend time with.

This 22 day trip starts with 4 days on the Rio San Juan. We will be living in Jungle huts and hanging out with Howler Monkeys. The Rio San Juan has a very high concentration of bird life and wild critters; there is a lot to see. Next we head back north to Granada to check out the cloud forests and the steaming, and sometimes spitting, volcanoes of Lake Nicaragua. Then it is onto the Pacific Coast for wildlife watching and surfing. We will also be spending time in the cloud forests and highlands north of Managua. There is a lot to see and do in Nicaragua!

Highlights: 1) Sitting on the porch of your jungle hut watching flotillas of Herons & Egrets drifting down the Rio San Juan while large 4-5 foot tarpons surface in the river. 2) Sitting on a park bench in the central square of Granada eating ice cream and watching the world go by. 3) Hanging out with Howler Monkeys.

Printable Bird List
(This is a checklist of the birds that we have seen on this trip)

Travel Dates:
2011: February 16 - March 2 (15 day Special tour)
2012: February 8 - 29

Group Size:
8 Travelers plus guides

Trip Length:
22 Days

Rates:
Rate per Person = $3,240
(based on double occupancy)
Rate for Single = $3,610

Rates are:
Inclusive: One round trip domestic flight, domestic transfers, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner on days 2, 18, 19, 20 & 21, group tours, entrance fees & Access America deluxe travel health insurance.

Exclusive: International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, dinner (except on noted days), alcohol, personal expenses such as souvenirs and expenses relating to personal choices during free time, tips for guides.

You should budget approximately $400 - $600 for meals and extras not included in tour. If you prefer fine dining, you should budget more.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Managua (fly day)
Arrival in Managua; we will try and coordinate our flights to arrive in Managua together. Flights usually arrive in the evening, so we will head directly to Las Mercedes Hotel for a relaxing evening among the pools and gardens.

Day 2: Managua (culture day)
Las Mercedes Hotel is surrounded by courtyards of gardens and is a great place to see a few interesting birds in the morning. During the day, we will take a city tour of Managua. The hotel has two pools and is a great place just to relax.

Day 3: Rio San Juan (travel day)
We will wake early and take a flight (1 hour) to San Carlos, which is a small town on the southeast corner of Lake Nicaragua and the start of the Rio San Juan. From there we catch a boat for a 2 hour ride down river. We will see a lot of birds and monkeys along the way. We will be staying at Sabalos Jungle Lodge.

Day 4: Rio San Juan (birding & adventure day)
The Sabalos Lodge is a sweet place; completely surrounded by nature with cabins directly over looking the river. There are good walking paths for exploring the area and the neighboring village. There are kayaks at the Sabalos for exploring the rivers and plenty of hammocks. The trees are usually full of monkeys. They will sing you to sleep at night. We will be taking a short boat ride to the Montecristo River Lodge and preserve for lunch and exploring the nature trails for birds and wildlife.

Day 5: Rio San Juan (birding & adventure day)
Day trip down river (1 hour) to visit El Castillo with its historic Spanish fort and just past there, Refugio Bartola & Indio-Maiz Preserve. This area is pristine and still very wild!!

Day 6: Granada (travel & culture & shopping day)
A boat ride up river, a plane ride to Managua and a bus will get us to Granada. We will be staying at the historic La Gran Francia Hotel, a very beautiful place just off the central park in old Granada.

Day 7: Laguna Apoyo (birding & adventure day)
Laguna Apoyo is a volcano crater that has filled up with water and now is a crystal clear lake. Nicaragua’s state bird, the Turquoise-browed Motmot is abundant here. We will be staying at either/or both The Crater’s Edge and La Orquidea Guest House. Both are excellent places.

Day 8: Laguna Apoyo (leisure day)
A day spent swimming and also exploring the surrounding neighborhood.

Day 9: Isla de Ometepe (travel day)
A shuttle, a bus and a boat will get us to Isla de Ometepe, which is an island created by two volcanoes. We will be staying at the base of Volcano Concepcion, which is constantly billowing steam. There is a small nature preserve here call Charco Verde.

Day10: Isla de Ometepe (birding & adventure day)
We will be staying at the Charco Verde Lodge. The lodge has cabins, a beach on Lake Nicaragua, an incredible view of the volcano and walking trials. Numerous White-throated Magpie Jays are here to say hello!!

Day 11: Las Penitas (travel day)
Next we head to the beautiful Pacific beaches of Las Penitas. We will be staying at the Hotel de Playa Barca de Oro.

Day 12: Las Penitas (birding & adventure day)
Not far from Las Penitas is Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado, which protects nesting sea turtle. We will take a day trip out to the island.

Day 13: Las Penitas (leisure day)
Maybe a good day to learn how to surf!!

Day 14: Managua (travel & culture & shopping day)
Two bus rides and two taxi rides will take us back Las Mercedes Hotel for a day of birding and relaxing.

Day 15: Matagalpa (travel day)
It is a 3 hour bus ride to Matagalpa. Matagalpa is the coffee region of Nicaragua. From the town of Matagalpa it is a 20 minute taxi ride to Selva Negra

Day 16: Matagalpa (birding & adventure day)
There are numerous choices for activities in this area; hiking, birding, horseback riding, coffee plantation tours or just chillin’ by the pond. Here we will find the Selva Negra Lodge and Coffee plantation.

Day 17: Matagalpa (birding & adventure day)
You may spend the day birding and hiking on the many trails or take a coffee plantation tour.

Day 18: Jinotega (travel & leisure day)
Just north of Matagalpa is the town of Jinotega. Jinotega is at the edge of some of Nicaragua’s most beautiful misty cloud forest mountains. We will be staying at the Jaguar Reserve. The Jaguar Reserve is located 4500 feet up in the Isabelia Mountain Range. It is a beautiful place to just to hang out.

Day 19: Jinotega (birding & adventure day)
A day spent hiking and exploring the trails. 230 different species of birds have been identified here at the Jaguar Reserve.

Day 20: Jinotega (birding & adventure day)
We will be taking a trip to Apanas Lake and also visit a pine-oak forest near the reserve.

Day 21: Managua (travel & leisure day)
A 2.5 hour bus ride will get us back to Las Mercedes were we will spend our day relaxing among the gardens

Day 22: Fly Home (tears & smile day)
Flights usually leave in the morning, so getting to the airport and getting home is our only activity for the day.

Please note: The lodging described in this itinerary is always our first choice based on availability. If we must book with our second choice, the lodging type and style is comparable.

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