Serious Ecotourism for Adventurous Travelers

This article was adapted from the Lonely Planet Nicaragua-El Salvador 1 , and expanded using further research.

It is the largest expanse of protected rainforest in Central America, some 20,000 square kilometers of misty mountain ranges and humid river valleys, contiguous with three natural preserves in neighboring Honduras: Río Patuca National Park, Tawhaka Anthropological Reserve and Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve. Together, they protect a total of almost 50,000 square kilometers of living, breathing jungle, the heart of the proposed Mesoamerican Biological Corridor and one of the least-explored areas of the Americas.

 

Designated a UNESCO Biosphere Preserve 1997, Bosawás is named for three of the park’s most dramatic geographical features, Río BOcay, Cerro SAslaya and Río WASpuk, all of which can be visited, with persistence, by the more-intrepid-than-average tourist. In addition to hundreds of orchids, bromeliads and other tropical plants, many of which remain unclassified by the increasing numbers of scientists studying the region, visitors may see giant anteaters, jaguars, ocelots, marguays, Baird’s tapirs, white-lipped peccaries, and capuchin (white face), spider and howler monkeys. Bird lovers looking for an adventurous add-on to their Costa Rican vacation can find chestnut-billed and keel-billed toucans, rare flocks of scarlet macaws and the red-throated caracara, among approximately 350 avian species represented here.

 

Bosawás is also home to more than 200,000 people, about 34,000 of whom are Mayangna and Miskito Indians, whose ancestors settled this region some 6000 years ago. Many still live in much the same way as their forebears, relying on the rivers for transportation and sustenance, and raising coconut, plantain, beans and yucca, only rarely supplemented with more modern foodstuffs. Most are Moravian Christians and speak little Spanish, and few feel any meaningful connection with the federal government in Managua. Only a tiny fraction have access to conveniences such as electricity, running water, education or health care.

 

The majority of those now living in the Bosawás’ 1.2 million hectare, multi-use “amortization zone,” created as a compromise between the ideal protection of natural resources and Nicaragua’s inescapable need for hard currency, are relatively recent immigrants from the Pacific side of the country. Called “Creoles” by the indigenous locals, these native Spanish speakers with a taste for what we consider civilization come for the arable land (well, arable for the first few years after the topsoil-poor jungles are slashed and burned) and opportunities for logging and gold mining.

 

Although the amortization zone was originally flagged for low-impact industries such as wildcrafting of medicinal plants, organic farming and, of course, tourism, that’s not how things have panned out. The reserve loses 120 to 175 hectares of forest per year to traditional farms, and more to illegal lumber operations, which provide nations including Taiwan, Japan and the United States with tropical hardwoods such as mahogany and rosewood.

 

But the Kyoto Accords’ Carbon Credits program, which allows industry to offset their carbon emissions by helping protect threatened green spaces such as the Bosawás, is finally providing some small support for the struggling preserve. The steady increase in ecotourism is also encouraging jobs, and hope, for locals who would rather show off their tropical wonderland to wide-eyed visitors like you, rather than cut it down so their children can eat another day.

 

Although most tourists will find it easiest to visit the still lovely, and always extremely interesting, amortization zones, it’s well worth the extra effort required to visit 800,000-hectare wild and undeveloped nucleus, much of which is considered so sacred to the indigenous peoples that even they decline to live there. The nucleus, where development of any kind is absolutely prohibited, is federally protected as Saslaya National Park, Cerro Kilambé National Park, Peñas Blancas Natural Reserve and Cerro Cola Blanca Natural Reserve.

 

If you want to explore these regions, which are still developing the most basic tourism infrastructure, come prepared. Be in reasonable physical condition, and ready to walk for several hours on rough, probably muddy trails (and don’t expect air conditioning, or in some cases running water, at your hotel). Someone in your group should speak decent Spanish, or you’ll need to invest in a bilingual guide. Consider taking malaria pills for longer adventures – at the very least, plan to cover up even in the tropical heat and carry mosquito coils. Some sort of water purification technology will be necessary for more adventurous treks.

 

There are several ways into the Bosawás, some of them well-established, with experienced, bilingual guides, spiffy lodges and all-inclusive tours, others involving leads like, “Ask for Jaguar José at Carlita’s convenience store on the trail to Belén, he has a canoe and can get you to that awesome and as-yet unclimbed granite spire stretching up into the azure sky.”

No matter what your pleasure, begin at the Bosawás Biosphere Preserve main office in Managua (tel 505 233 1594; www.tmx.com.ni/~bosawas/reserva.htm), part of the Ministry of Parks and Natural Resources (MARENA) complex located at the roundabout just west of the Managua International Airport; it’s a US$6 cab ride from the city center. They can offer advice, recommend guides and have maps and other resources for sale. Be sure to bring picture ID. Here are six of the most accessible options, arranged according to their distance from Managua. Be sure to ask on arrival for the latest information.

 

El Tuma-La Dalia & Peñas Blancas Natural Reserve

This little-visited mountain town northeast of Matagalpa is the gateway to Reserva Natural Maciso de Peñas Blancas (tel 505 772 5746; admission US$2; guide US$6). Park rangers can arrange guided hike to the unforgettable peak of La Cordillera Isabella, an enormous mesa rock made up of sheer 100-meter cliffs, surrounded by pristine cloud forest and streaked with 48 waterfalls pouring from the mists into fabulous swimming holes. La Sobra Eco-Lodge (tel 505 772 3733; (sombra-ecolodge@yahoo.es), which sits atop 150 acres of forest and coffee plantation bordering the park, and offers package deals including pretty rooms, three meals and guided treks into the park for US$40 per person. Daytrippers can use their 3km of trails to the three closes waterfalls for US$10.

Buses (US$1.50, 1.5 hours) run almost hourly from 6am to 6pm between La Dalia and the major city of Matagalpa, with convenient bus connections to the capital and a wide range of restaurants, hotels, museums and other entertainment options. Matagalpa Tours (tel 505 772 4581; www.matalpatours.com) arranges three-day, all-inclusive guided treks to Peñas Blancas, leaving from Matagalpa.

 

El Cuá, San José de Bocay & Peñas Blancas Natural Reserve

Accessible from transcendentally beautiful town of Jinotega, a slightly smaller population center with several good hotels and restaurants located just north of Matagalpa, is another access route into Reserva Natural Maciso de Peñas Blancas. A rough dirt road, plied by buses (US$4) leaving the Cotran Norte Station at 4am, 6:30am, 10am and noon daily runs right into the nucleus of the Bosawás.

 

The first stop is tiny El Cuá, already inside a particularly lovely swath of the Bosawás amortization zone, with a few very basic hotels and simple eateries. The best of the bunch Guardianos del Bosque (no phone), a Sandinista-style women’s cooperative offering clean cabins for US$6 per person and hearty meals for just a few dollars more. They arrange guided tours along “Waterfalls of Pen\~as Blancas Trail” to guests and daytrippers alike.

Buses continue to the even smaller settlement of San José de Bocay, where the Bosawás ranger station can arrange basic lodging, meals and guides to the amazing cliffs and profusion of waterfalls pouring from pine-covered, 1750-meter Cerro Kilambé, home to the rare and resplendent quetzal. Not adventurous enough for you? Ask around for Henry Taylor, a Miskito Indian who speaks some English and has hats, lamps and a boat for the 5km trip up river to the Tunowalan Caves, an apparently incredible cavern system, covered with petroglyphs, that they someday hope to develop for more structured adventure tourism.

 

Wiwilí

Also accessible by buses (US$3.50, 5 hours) leaving five times daily from beautiful Jinotega, Wiwilí is the youngest city in Nicaragua (1989). Actually, there are two cities named Wiwilí straddles the Río Coco, right at the edge of the Bosawás, and is surrounded by dramatically jungled peaks such as 1485-meter Cerro Cantagallo. There are a handful of very basic hospedajes in addition to recommended Hotel Central (no phone), with clean, comfortable rooms for US$4 per person shared bath, US$8 per person with a private bath. Tight around the the corner from Faisan Dorado restaurant, the best of several in-town eateries. Either place can help you arrange guides, as will the Wiwilí mayor’s office, which doesn’t have a phone, though you can call a neighboring house (tel 505 273 3209).

Get the latest information before you go in Jinotega, at either the government tourist bureau, INTUR (tel 505 782 4552; (jinotega@intur.gob.ni), with an office right on the Central Park, or Hotel Bosawás (tel 505 782 3311; rooms US$4 per person), Jinotega’s best budget hotel, where owner Lenin Castro, who regularly boats into the Bosawás via Wiwilí, happily offers tips.

 

Siuna and Saslaya National Park

This pretty, impoverished (even by Nicaraguan standards) and almost untouristed town is centered on an abandoned gold mine and surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery. Oddly enough, it has the best selection of hotels and restaurants in Central Nicaragua, and more importantly, the only “easy” access to utterly untamed Parque Nacional Saslaya. Getting to Siuna requires either a brutal 12-hour, US$9 bus ride from Managua, or a pleasant one-hour, US$90 flight on La Costeña air (tel 505 263 2142, ext 2203; www.eaai.com.ni/vuelos/nacionales.shtml). Remember that it’s cash only once you’re here, so either book a round-trip flight in Managua on your credit card, or bring plenty of big bills with you. Always carry a flashlight around town, as electricity can flicker out at any time.

The Bosawás office (no phone) is located about one block downhill from the air strip, which runs right through the center of town. They arrange hiking and horseback trips to two campsites: Camp Salto Labú, with petroglyph-packed caverns, an adjacent swimming hole and canyons to wander, and Camp Piedra Colorada, on a lagoon surrounded by pristine forest. You can visit either on a day trip. Guides are US$6 per day, and they recommend at least two guides per group. Horses are US$5 extra per day, per horse. There’s unpurified water at the campsite, but you’ll need to bring everything else. With a couple days notice, the office can also arrange guides for the four-day, round-trip hike up 1651-meter Cerro Saslaya.

 

There are several cheap, basic hotels in town running about US$3 per person, but your best budget bet is bright yellow Hotelito Los Chinitos (tel 505 794 2038; US$6 per person) across from the Bosawás office, with a great restaurant. Hotel Siu (tel 505 794 2028; hotel_siu@yahoo.com; room with private bath US$15-25, with shared bath US$8 per person) is the best hotel in town; go up the stairs from the landing strip and ask directions. Restaurant Hoiming (US$4-8; open 11am-11p), down the street from the bus station, has the best Chinese food in Central Nicaragua.

 

Bonanza, Cola Blanca Natural Reserve & Musawas

The bustling mining town of Bonanza, inside the Bosawás amortization zone, is a boom town built around a Canadian-operated gold mine, with a dozen workshops selling inexpensive gold jewelry. To get here, you’ll either take the $13, 15-hour bus ride from Managua, or the one-hour, $90 with La Costeña (tel 505 794 0023; like Siuna, it’s cash only once you’re here in the jungle. Either way, grab a cab straight to clean, colorful Hotel y Restaurant B y B (tel 505 794 0017), next to the market, and grab a cheerfully painted clapboard room for US$4 single, $5 double, all with shared bath.

 

The excellent Bosawás office (tel 505 794 0109) is two kilometers north of town, and offers maps and information about guides and transportation to two sectors of the reserve. Reserva Natural Cerro Cola Blanca is the easiest trip to arrange, with one main trail, Sendero Tesoro, that starts four kilometers from Bonanza in the community of Panamá; your guide (US$6) can help arrange transport. The Bosowás office also maintains a “teaching farm” 12 kilometers south of Bonanza, abutting Cola Blanca, displaying organically grown crops and accessing several short trails into the park; camping is available.

 

More difficult to reach is Musawas, about 30 kilometers north of Bonanza on an absolutely terrible dirt road. This is the capital of the Mayangna Nation, administrating a cluster of 19 destitute villages that are home to most of the 9000 Mayangna (formerly called Sumo) Indians left in the world. All Mayangna towns, by tribal law, maintain a community shelter where any traveler is welcome to stay; townspeople will arrange simple meals. The Bosawás office should be able to find a guide, or ask at the Bonanza Alcaldía (mayor’s office; tel 505 794 0001), in the center of town, for Arecia Generon or Professor Orlando Salamán Justo. Cheaper, braver souls could take a truck (US$1.25, trucks at 8am and noon daily) 15km north to the Mayangna community of Suniwas, half way to Musuwas, and look for guides Fidencio Devis or Rodolfo Amador. All the guides can arrange traditional dances and entertainment, canoe trips down Río Pis-Pis and Río Waspuk, climbs up Cerro Cola Blanca, horseback rides to smaller Mayangna communities, as that’s about the only way you’ll get there. Expect to pay about US$70 per day for a group of four, and consider bringing extra food.

 

Waspám & the Río Coco

The capital of Nicaraguan Mosquitia, Waspám offers a handful of hotels and restaurants stretched hot and languid along the muddy shores of the Río Coco, better known around here as the Wangki, Miskito for “Big River.” It is the longest, widest river in Central America, and forms the northern border of both Nicaragua and the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve, bisecting some 50,000 square kilometers of protected rainforest shared between Nicaragua and neighboring Honduras. Malaria is endemic in this region, so seriously consider taking anti-malarials and/or covering up as completely as possible, particularly during rainy season.

 

The classic trip into the Bosawás takes you 135km upriver to Salto Yaho, an enormous waterfall on the Río Waspúk, a major tributary of the Wangki. Operators can arrange room and board with a local family, or plan to grab a simple US$6 room at Hotelito Ruth (no phone) in San Carlos, with a good restaurant and guides that can arrange boat tours farther into the Bosawás. Bring something to purify your water. Custom tours can continue another 140km west to Los Raudales (“The Rapids), and in rainy season you could theoretically take a canoe all the way to Wiwilí, though you’ll probably end up carrying it around some of the whitewater yourself. The basic tour usually runs US$150 to US$300 per group, about twice that to Los Raudales. You can try to arrange tours at the Bosawás office (no phone), in the white house one block from the bus station, or try Hotel El Piloto, where English-speaking owner Barry Watson arranges these and several other local tours. Emserta Transports, located at the larger of two docks located east of the bus stop, can arrange boats and tours.

 

Hotel El Piloto (tel 505 273 3794), with excellent, air-conditioned double rooms for US$18 is the best hotel in town; there are several basic spots with $3 rooms, less by the hour. Buses (US$6, 4hrs) leave at 6:30am and 7:30am for Bilwi/Puerto Cabezas, where you can catch the (groan) 24-hour bus to Managua. Or, make reservations for a La Costeña flight (no phone, $90) to Managua, which runs Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. La Costeña offers are daily flights from Bilwi.

 

For an 8mb Bosawas map in .jpg format, click here.