Added: 09/09/2005 |
The natural order of ecotourism in NicaraguaThe natural order of ecotourism in Nicaragua
It's Central America as it should be - miles of pristine beaches, rainforest running down to the sea, spectacular wildlife. And it's safe. Now a sumptuous new hacienda has opened so you can enjoy ecotourism in nicaragua in style.
A landscape of outstanding natural beauty, of lakes, volcanoes, rainforest and pristine beaches - these are not the first things most people think of when Nicaragua is mentioned. More likely would be revolution and civil war, poverty and natural disasters.
It's been 14 years since peace broke out and the country is now officially the safest in the region, according to a UN survey. However, its lingering reputation has kept ecotourism to a trickle and prevented the best bits being bought up and over-run, as is happening in Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico. a turbulent past gives Nicaragua an edge that is appealing to adventurous travellers. In a sense, Nicaragua is unspoilt because of it. Little by little, international travellers are discovering its charms - and the southern stretch of Pacific coastline is emerging as the country's main attraction.
Most tourists escape from the unlovely capital whenever they can and set out to explore nicaragua natural attractions: the coffee growing uplands, the crumbling colonial cities, crater lakes and cloud forest covered volcanoes. But for sheer kick-back comfort, the beach is always first choice.
Nicaragua's heat makes a sombrero mandatory - but once you have one, the lakes and jungles of the south are yours to explore. And finding one to begin with can lead you to some extraordinary places.The cobbled roads are dotted with helpful people who point and gesture frantically for you to go this way, straight ahead ("derecho, derecho!"), follow that horse and cart, on the left, ("izquierdo, izquierdo") - or simply set off alongside you, leading you through the skinny streets.
\Many hotels develop ecotourism in Nicaragua and employ trained biologists to take guests on wildlife tours. From August to January, giant leatherback turtles come to the beach to lay their eggs. Biologists protect the nests from poachers and wake guests during the night to witness baby turtles flap down to the sea in their hundreds. They also run tours of the farm's local flora and fauna. From the hilltop visitors can see Lake Nicaragua and the twin-coned volcanic island of Ometepe that had so impressed Mark Twain in 1867, en route from San Francisco to New York by the fastest route available at the time.
From Granada, travel by ferry to the island of Ometepe (the journey takes about five hours). This extraordinary island was formed by two volcanoes: the still-active Volcan Concepcion, which sits 1610m above Lago Nicaragua and has an almost perfect cone, and its little sister, Volcan Madera, 1349m in height. Lava spilling from the volcanoes created an isthmus which joined them into one single land mass. As you approach, hang onto your hat and behold the twin peaks which loom like an almighty bosom, modestly concealed by a layer of filmy clouds. As well as being home to the largest freshwater island in the world, the waters that lap Ometepe's shores are home to the world's only freshwater sharks, the Caribbean bowl sharks, making swimming that bit more exciting.
The tropical forest is teeming with wildlife, home to spider monkeys and white-faced capuchins, armadillos, sloths and opossums, as well as dozens of bird species: we heard (but didn't see) oropendola, with their distinctive call, and spotted several guardabarranco (blue-crested motmot).
When planning to practice ecotourism in Nicaragua, it is recommended to hire a guide ($15 for the day), but you can go it alone as the track is wide and well marked.You set off at dawn down a dirt road that trickles out of town and appreciate the scenery: women gracefully balancing baskets on their heads; schoolchildren laughing at the sight of the gringos wearing funny hats and, as always, a few pigs rooting around in the dirt.
When you arrived at the base, 11km from Altagracia, you can spend time resting your gluteus maximus muscles on the wide, sandy beach of Santa Domingo and walking through the forest to find pre-Columbian petroglyphs and spectacular waterfalls.
Away from Ometepe, the tranquil settlement of Solentiname, an island chain situated at the southernmost end of the lake and populated by artists and poets, is also worth a look. Getting to Solentiname from the mainland is best done by panga - long, roofed, motorized boats. The pangas depart numerous times daily from the two mainland ports of San Miguelito and San Carlos.
Getting around in Nicaragua is not easy compared to other Central American countries such as Costa Rica, which has had the benefit of years of political stability. But after decades of civil war and revolution, earthquakes and political and economic upheaval, it's no wonder the infrastructure is limited. In between ooh-ing and aah-ing at the views you cannot avoid being overtaken by the knowledge of what its people have lived through.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
