Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Other Islands
There are at least 36 islands in the archipelago, many privately owned and most without
much to interest the casual visitor.
You will hear the residents of Isla El Padre before you see them. Set between Mancarrón
and San Fernando and named for yet another priest who long ago sought solitude in these
tranquil waters, it's inhabited by a troupe of howler monkeys.
Isla Sevilla , just west of Mancarroncito, is a haven for bird-watchers, with thousands of
cormorants, tiger herons and pelicans here to enjoy some excellent fishing.
Avid birders won't want to miss tiny Islas Zapote and Zapotillo , with Nicaragua's
highest concentration of birds, most famously flocks of roseate spoonbills that nest in
February and March. Migratory birds of all kinds converge here between December and
April - where more than 30,000 nests have been counted by visiting biologists. These is-
lands are 12km from the rest of the archipelago, but a visit could easily be tacked on to a
day trip to Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos, or a chartered cruise to or from San
Carlos.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos
Like so many national treasures, Los Guatuzos wildlife reserve, a 44,000-hectare band of
rich, river-streaked wilderness wedged between the Costa Rican border and Lago de Ni-
caragua, was conserved by accident. The earliest inhabitants, the Guatuzos, were sold into
slavery, their lands co-opted by farmers whose crops (rubber and cacao) demanded shade.
Just as foreign timber companies were poised to buy out the subsistence farmers, revolu-
tion and war hit hard along the border, leaving this region as pristine as only a minefield
can be. (It was declared mine-free in 2001.)
By the time it was safe for people to return, the federal government had already taken
pains to protect it. The Río Pizote (Long-Tailed Raccoon River) and Río Medio Queso (Half
Cheese River) form the eastern and western boundaries of the preserve, home to 18 rivers,
2000 people, 81 amphibians, 42 mammals and almost 400 bird species. The wetlands are
also a paradise for mosquitoes - bring plenty of repellent.
There are two excellent nature-focused accommodations on the Río Papaturro. Cabañas
Caiman (
8676-2958, 506-8704-3880; aillenm@hotmail.com; Río Papaturro; r per person incl
 
 
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