Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hiking
Thanks to an unlikely environmental consciousness (the Nicaraguan government found
time to protect dozens of wilderness areas during the turbulent 1980s) and the war, which
probably did more to save the rainforests than Unesco did in most countries, there's a lot of
fairly pristine forest out there to see.
Some of the most interesting and easily accessible are at Área Protegida Miraflor,
Reserva Natural Macizos de Peñas Blancas and Reserva Natural Cerro Datanlí-El Diablo.
The climbs with the real cachet, however, are any of the dozens of volcanoes, including
the Maribios chain, Volcán Cosigüina and the volcanoes of Isla Ometepe. And if you're in-
to dominating nature, consider the full-day climb to the peak of Cerro Mogotón (2106m),
Nicaragua's highest mountain.
Make it Happen
Guides are usually recommended (and sometimes compulsory) for hikes in all but the best-
developed natural parks and reserves, particularly for the volcanoes. Even on easy hikes,
guides can almost always find things you never would. In smaller towns, ask about guides
at the
alcaldía
(mayor's office), usually right on the Parque Central (central park).
Base yourself in the hiking havens of Estelí, Matagalpa or Jinotega to explore the moun-
tains of the north. For volcanoes, the best access is from León.
There are a number of companies offering organized hikes. The following are recom-
mended:
Quetzaltrekkers
(
Click here
) Nonprofit outift in León offering high-adventure volcano climbs.
Tree Huggers
(
Click here
)
Based in Estelí, offers hikes around Estelí including to Área Protegida Mira-
flor and Cañon de Somoto.
Matagalpa Tours
(
Click here
) Matagalpa outfit, with treks to Reserva Naturals Cerro Apante, Datanlí,
Peñas Blancas and other more off-the-beaten-track destinations.
