Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Within the reserve, the four-hour Ruta de los Chorros trail takes you past three 50m wa-
terfalls (one of which you can see from town) to a
mirador
(lookout point) with views
clear to the Pacific Ocean.
From San José de los Remates the road continues north past a string of rural communit-
ies with strong Chorotega roots to scenic
Esquipulas
, where you can hike through the
cloud forest to Cerro Santa Maria, which offers terrific views of Boaco; or head for the
orchid show on El Cerro del Padre.
From Esquipulas, it's a long and rutted road past family
fincas
(farms) and forested vol-
canoes.
San Dionisio
, with two basic
hospedajes,
is the biggest town on this stretch of
road. Continue onward to
El Chile
, which is known for its colorful textiles, handbags and
dolls. You can visit any of the family workshops before navigating the final 12km to
Matagalpa.
There are four buses a day from Teustepe (US$1, one hour) to San José los Remates.
From San José, irregular buses ply the back road to Esquipulas, from where there are fre-
quent services to Matagalpa; however, the journey is much easier in a private 4WD
vehicle.
Juigalpa
POP 59,500 / ELEV 117M
Blessed with a wonderful setting, Juigalpa is nestled on a high plateau peering into a
golden valley quilted with rangeland carved by a crystalline river, and enclosed on all
sides by the looming Serranía Amerrisque, the sheer granite faces and layered peaks of
which are ripe for contemplation and adventure. To the west is a series of smaller hills and
dry valleys that crumble into marsh, which melts into Lago de Nicaragua. The town itself,
sprinkled with well-preserved colonial buildings and peopled by ranchers, rambles along
both sides of the Managua Hwy. Apart from a fascinating archaeological museum, there
are not a lot of attractions here and the pulse of tourism is quite faint, which makes
Juigalpa a particularly authentic destination.
Sights & Activities
Museo Arqueológico Gregorio Aguilar Barea
( 2512-0784; Parque Central, 2½c E; admission US$0.40; 8am-noon & 2-4pm Mon-Fri, 8am-
noon Sat)
Mystical stone statues rise like ancient totems in the courtyard entrance here. It
MUSEUM
