The Trail of the Naturalist
To the rude and ruthless conquerors pirates, America represented opportunities and wealth. The nineteenth century brought new lands to those explorers, motivated to meet and explore new habitats, heading for rivers that imbue into intricate mazes and implanted in the lush rainforests that generous through new trills and sounds communicate and demonstrate new ways of interpreting life.
Undoubtedly, the chronicles pirates like the English naturalist William Dampier, the findings of Charles Darwin and researcher awaken the restless spirit of great Swedish naturalist Carl Bovallius, who also gave us accounts of the life of the rubber of the Rio San Juan and the simple life of its inhabitants, the German Julius Froebel, the Americans William Wells, Ephraim Squier and English Thomas Belt who during his foray into Nicaragua from 1868 to 1873 has been inspired by the charm of this land to wrote “The Naturalist Nicaragua, “which was published in London in 1874.
This tour will take us from the journey undertaken by this notorious land initiating scientific beginging in Chontales to finish by the ecstatic San Juan River which traveling through the coastal towns of the Great Lake of Nicaragua.
Where to go
MANAGUA – SANTO DOMINGO – JUIGALPA
Departure from Managua to the mining region of freedom and Santo Domingo in the department of Chontales. Our first stop will be in La Libertad, where we will learn the process of artisanal gold mining.
Departure Juigalpa, department head of Chontales. Juigalpa was founded in April 1668. Museo Gregorio Aguilar visit home to the richest collection of statues
JUIGALPA – ACOYAPA – SAN MIGUELITO – SAN CARLOS
Breakfast and departure to the town of San Miguelito located off the coast of Lake Nicaragua and is part of the department of Rio San Juan. It was founded by rubber tappers and raicilleros between 1850 – 1855 and originally known by the name of The Villages.San Miguelito business boomed in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, as the covered railroad route from San Miguelito to Punta Mico in the Atlantic Coast taking advantage of the removal of the radicle and the rubber that was abundant in the area. Tour and Lunch to go to San Carlos along the coast of Lake Nicaragua to the mouth of Rio San Juan.
Dinner and accommodation in San Carlos.
SAN CARLOS – LOS GUATUZOS
Breakfast and departure to Papaturro River, gateway to the Refugio de Vida inspired by the colorful, peace and natural wealth Solentiname.
For its natural characteristics, the archipelago is a destination for many species of nesting birds, migratory bird refuge fleeing the harsh cold north. After lunch we will have a walking tour of the Island visiting Mancarrón various craft workshops and exchange experiences with artisans and artists in this community.
Morning bird watching excursion at night and lizards.
Dinner and accommodation included.
LOS GUATUZOS – SOLENTINAME
Departure Solentiname archipelago. This paradise is the cradle of primitive art from Nicaragua and other art recognized worldwide that have been pre-Hispanic gods and chieftains.
The statue known as La Chinita Chontales was exhibited at the Louvre.
Dinner and overnight at Juigalpa.
SOLENTINAME – EL CASTILLO
Departure to El Castilloo.
We go into a magical world filled with colorful birds, wildlife and amazing forests. Suddenly the hue of the landscape is broken by the astonishing figure of silent watch: The fort of the Immaculate Conception, which welcome us from its high hill position.
After lunch walk through the village to visit its attractions, ending with a visit to the Fortress. required to be built by Spanish to fight pirates raids and defend ships coming from the city of Granada. The Spanish the fortress, whose construction was completed in 1675.
In 1762 the young Rafaela Herrera became a main character of the history of Nicaragua by repelling the British attack but in 1780 found the young British Captain Horace Nelson attacked and won the battle besieging the fort for several days.
After lodging and dinner at El Castillo.
EL CASTILLO – BARTOLA
Breakfast and departure to the Refuge Bartola located 6 miles downstream from the confluence of Bartolo and San Juan, precisely where the vast nature reserve starts Indio – Corn.
Lunch and canoe tour on the River Bartola and head into the reserve under the guidance of expert naturalist guides who know the territory.
Afternoon walk through the trails of the private reserve of Bartola to observe the rich biodiversity and receive a talk on the medicinal properties of plants and their uses. Dinner and overnight at the shelter.
BARTOLA – FRESH WATER – BARTOLA
Breakfast and departure by boat to the water pipe clear to see wildlife and have closer contact with nature.
Box lunch and day to enjoy the cool waters of the river learning to fish with traditional techniques of river dwellers.
Back to Bartola, dinner and overnight.
BARTOLA – RIO SARNOSO – GREYTOWN
Breakfast at the hotel and departure to the River Sarnoso.
For their characteristic nature reserve you can see all kinds of mammals like the jaguar, birds, and fish.
Rio San Juan is a biosphere reserve recognized by UNESCO since 2003 and the passing from brackish to fresh water of the lake several fish species such as the bull shark (Centropomus parallelus) and Gaspar (antroctsteus tropicus).
Box lunch. Arrival in San Juan de Nicaragua, accommodation and dinner. San Juan del Norte – now San Juan de Nicaragua, was founded in 1538, played a leading commercial boom that lasted more than three centuries.In 1847, the Miskito King George Frederic II baptized August Greytown Greytown in homage as the governor of Jamaica and granted Britain the right to land logging.
GREYTOWN – RIO INDIO – GREYTOWN
Breakfast and departure to explore the Indian River vast territory rich in history, lush virgin forest and wildlife. With the assistance of local guides will make a tour of their current sighting the most incredible species that grow and live in the shelter of this exotic green world.
Visit the ancient settlement of the town of Greytown. As we go through the cemeteries of San Juan in the north which are divided by Mason, English, Catholic or Spanish, our guide told explain us the lifestyle of old San Juan del Norte, which inhabited the history of the rubber boom.Observe the majestic and ancient dredges are still immersed in the river continues to the Blue Lagoon, one of the main natural attractions that exist in the municipality of San Juan de Nicaragua. Arrival at Greytown and free time to explore this quiet and picturesque village.
Farewell dinner in which we enjoy a cultural show Garifuna own in the region.
GREYTOWN – MANAGUA
After breakfast, transfer time to take the domestic flight to Managua.