November 5, 2008 by sacuanjoche.

Nicaragua’s ‘Golden Route’ to the Caribbean, Rio San Juan

World-class Fishing, Historical Battle Sites and Unexplored Rainforest Make the Rio San Juan a Must-See for Top Adventurers

Last update: 10:32 a.m. EST Nov. 5, 2008

MANAGUA, Nicaragua, Nov 05, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — A region rich with historic tales and ancient struggles, Rio San Juan, or San Juan River, which borders Costa Rica on the East, has seen its fair share of pirates, battles and entrepreneurs. Even the most outgoing adventurers will be shocked to find some of the world’s largest tarpon, weighing in at over 400 pounds, alongside Howler and Spider Monkeys, jaguars, anteaters and more in the largest uninterrupted stretch of rainforest north of the Amazon Basin.

According to Joshua Berman, co-author of the just released Moon Nicaragua guidebook (Sept. 2008), “The Rio San Juan is one of Nicaragua’s most alluring and remote regions. From the stunning natural and cultural attractions of the Solentiname Archipelago to the old walls of El Castillo’s 17th-century Spanish fort, Rio San Juan is a rare and serene part of the country … “

Connecting the Caribbean Sea to Central America’s largest lake, Lake Nicaragua, Rio San Juan has been considered on more than one occasion as a possible site for what is now the Panama Canal. Its start in Lake Nicaragua is guarded by the Solentiname Archipelago, a 36-island chain formed by the eruptions of nearby volcanoes, while the river’s entrance to the Caribbean Sea is a tantalizing tangle of smaller streams and estuaries. Spanish explorers first discovered the river’s outlet to the sea in 1525 and immediately realized the importance of controlling access to the massive lake. Used as a major trade connection for Granada, Havana and Cartagena de Indias, Rio San Juan caught the attention of 16th century pirates in search of treasure.

Today, the “Golden Route” as locals know it, is a top destination for travelers looking to explore untouched forest and ancient towns. Tours are offered starting in San Carlos, the town located at the river’s start on Lake Nicaragua, and continue to different points along the river. Two large natural reserves, Los Guatuzos and Esperanza Verde (Green Hope), offer hiking trails, lodging, dining and ecological centers. More popular and much larger, is the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve, named after two smaller rivers that run through it. In the surrounding tropical rainforest it isn’t uncommon to find turtles, crocodiles, manatees and jaguar. Various populations of migratory birds and indigenous monkeys can also be heard in the treetops.

Stepping back in time is easily done while floating down Rio San Juan. The historical village of El Castillo, named after a famous Spanish fortress built in colonial times, was a notorious stomping ground for Spanish conquerors and buccaneer pirates. Boat tours drop explorers off at the village’s port, where they can interact with the community and ascend the ancient military fortress for a sprawling view of the surrounding forest. El Castillo’s interior is now a historical museum with a small library conserving the fortress’ past. Horseback tours, canoe trips and rainforest hikes are all available from this colonial village.

Getting there

There are various ways to get to Rio San Juan-daily flights are available from Managua to San Carlos and take about 45 minutes. By boat, a ferry runs from Granada with stops at a few islands along the way. This takes about 12 hours in total.

Renting a car, hiring a car or taking a bus is another possibility-a four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended during the rainy season and takes approximately 9 hours from Managua. Managua’s bus transit is another option and takes about 10 hours.

Where to stay

Monte Cristo River Lodge: Monte Cristo is an eco-tourism lodge boasting trophy-sized tarpon and one-of-a-kind views of the rare Macua bird. Visit www.montecristoriver.com for more information.

Sabalos Lodge: Located along the banks of Rio San Juan, Sabalos Lodge features riverside hammocks for lazy days in the tropics and rainforest dips under trees filled with whiteface monkeys. Visit www.sabaloslodge.com for more information.

South American Fiesta ( www.southamericanfiesta.com ) and Kaiyote Tours ( www.kaiyotetours.com ) both offer tours to Rio San Juan.

Source: marketwatch.com

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September 13, 2008 by sacuanjoche.

Once-troubled Central American country is at peace and looking to entice travellers to explore its cultural, historical and recreational attractions

September 13, 2008

Heather Greenwood Davis
Special to the Star
Managua, Nicaragua–The beach butlers haven’t arrived yet. And the soldiers haven’t left.

But tourists who flip past this small Central American country in travel brochures fearing for their safety should take a second look. The country is moving forward and the lush landscapes and towering volcanoes that were once only an impetuous backpackers’ playground are increasingly available to those who prefer a hotel to a hostel and a backrub to a backpack.

Nicaragua is in transition and actively seeking out travellers who will come and see the changes for themselves. Many who have been refer to the country as “the next Costa Rica,” a tip of the hat to the southwestern neighbour that has become a favourite spot for North Americans looking for a safe, eco-friendly, virtually untouched place to vacation or retire.

Nicaragua offers all of that, as well as historically significant cultural options in museums and architecture where Costa Rica falls short. But its violent history, still fresh in the minds of many, has been a hurdle in the country’s struggle to attract tourists.

“People still think of us as war-torn,” says guide Marlon Rivera. “We still have that negative image.”

The country is peaceful. The war-torn era of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s that made international headlines is long gone. All that seems to remain of the turbulent times are relics and buildings that make for interesting tours in Managua, and the people who were left to pick up the pieces.

They’ve done that remarkably well.

The new Nicaragua is cited by many guidebooks as one of the safest countries in Central America. Cruise ships have been stopping regularly since 1996.

The number of visitors to the country has increased 7 per cent since 2007, says Tania Estrada, spokesperson for the tourism and trade department.

Most visitors are Europeans, primarily from England, who spend four to five days and upwards of $150 (U.S.) per day. Canada ranks fourth. The United States is third and other Central American countries fill in the gap.

“We are trying to fight that negative perception of Nicaragua,” Estrada says.”Nicaragua has beautiful places to go.”

On board a recent flight to Managua, the plane is full. There are babies nibbling on chubby fistfuls of crackers, a student group of teenage boys (and one lone female teacher) boasting of the waves they’ll conquer on surfboards, families of all sizes and businessmen itching for the seatbelt sign to go off so they can start their BlackBerrys.

When they land, they’ll venture out across the country:

The popular beaches of San Juan del Sur, the peaceful seclusion of Ometepe Island, the colonial city of Granada and the university hub of Leon.

If there are concerns for safety among these travellers, it isn’t evident. Snippets of overheard conversation suggest a different preoccupation: At a time when travel is expensive, Nicaragua is cheaper than the Caribbean, its beaches equally as beautiful and sunshine just as plentiful.

“Tourism here in Nicaragua is growing very slowly, but it’s growing in a good way,” says Estrada.

Due in no small part, no doubt, to the fact that in Nicaragua a middle-class traveller can live like a king.

Hotel and restaurants are constantly besting each other in a race to be the most lavish, the most luxurious, the most exclusive and the most upscale.

But you can also still find well-priced – and even cheap – accommodation. An expensive gourmet meal with fresh seafood, well-seasoned steaks and a cornucopia of sides will run you no more than $25 (U.S.).

New eco-friendly routes (including visits to organic coffee plantations) and artisanal routes are among tours being introduced to take visitors beyond the major centres and into the rural northern areas.

And there is a building boom afoot.

Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and EcoLounge – a 15-bungalow retreat in a natural conservation area – opened in 2004. Gran Pacifica, a combination owner/rental pool of properties, is being developed on the Pacific Coast 45 kilometres from Managua and will feature a Marriott hotel.

With obvious pride, Estrada rhymes off a string of large, upscale projects being developed across the country over the next five years; most of the investors are from North America.

Tax incentives and tourism laws aimed at luring international investors and retirees to the country are working.

Nadene Holmes, a former ESL teacher from St. Catharines, has witnessed the changes firsthand.

“It used to be just backpackers,” she says, sitting at a small table under one of two large Canadian flags in her café in Granada. “But now we’re getting a much higher-end tourist. Two years ago, to spend $10 on a meal was like, `How much?’ That’s no longer the case.”

Holmes moved with her family to Nicaragua in 2002 and opened Maverick’s – a bookshop/café – in downtown Granada a few years later.

But last year she realized there was a market developing for people who could guide newcomers through the initial settling process. She and her husband Camillo Calderon launched Maverick’s Details Management (granada-english-college.com/Mavericks) just over a year ago and have watched profits jump 15 per cent.

That’s thanks in part to the government’s commitment to attracting tourism, especially in bringing new flights from the United States and promoting the country as a viable investment.

“We’ve definitely noticed a lot of positive buzz,” Holmes says of the growing tourism market. “The interest is there. The change is coming.”

It is clear that, for the most part, any investor-driven changes will need to come from outside the country.

With 72 per cent of Nicaragua’s population under the age of 30, and 42 per cent under the age of 15, this country of about 5 1/2 is young, ambitious – and poor. There are more than 35 universities in the country, but at a cost of about $140 (U.S.) per month, even the least expensive of the private schools is out of reach to most locals.

A teacher in this country, for example, earns less than that in a month. There are hospitals here that you can’t enter without a U.S. credit card and Rivera says there are movie theatres where $6 or $7 will give you a private table where you can watch a movie while dining on steak – but you won’t find your average Nicaraguan inside.

“We have very, very poor people, middle poor and then rich people,” Rivera says. “There is no middle class.”

As if to prove his point, a truck that looks about three metres high and just over a metre wide passes us, filled with bananas bound for El Salvador. Another with almost as many men heading out to work on one of the plantations is going the other way.

The top industry remains agriculture: coffee, sugar, seafood, tobacco – but now there are glimmering signs that tourism may one day add to that bounty.

On the tarmac in Managua airport sits a mix of American Airline jumbo jets and smaller twin engines. In a hangar in the distance, a camouflage-coloured chopper bides its time. The present and the past continue to mix here, but Estrada says the country is moving forward, not looking back.

“The thing that you need to see is the country, not the political things or the problems of the government,” she says. “People need to visit to understand.”

Heather Greenwood Davis is a freelance columnist. Her trip to Nicaragua was subsidized by the Nicaraguan Tourism Board.

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August 19, 2008 by sacuanjoche.

STEPHANIE GRIMMETT visits Nicaragua in Central America for an action-packed adventure in a place few people have ever thought of visiting.
Nicaragua only seems to make the news when something bad is going down: earthquakes, political uprisings and of course, the infamous Iran-Contra Affair. But, currently this little battler of a country is enjoying a period of relative political stability and it’s a great time to visit. Nicaragua is clearly on the make.

Posted in on internet, Link, southafrican.co.uk, travel, Media, Granada, Leon, Nicaragua | Print | No Comments »