Choosing the best natural places & how to schedule

[julies]

I've read the books & the blogs.  Can't narrow down where we should go.  Assuming we make the tight connection in Houston, we arrive in Managua at 12:30 on Dec. 31.  Have no desire at all to see it or stay there.  We leave on a 07:30am flight on Jan. 12.  I assume this means we need to spend the previous night in Managua so we can make the 05:30 check-in time.  We are interested in the obvious--Granada and Ometepe, and maybe Leon although we've seen thousands of churches already & this sounds like one of the primary activities there.  We're middle-aged, low-key, experienced world travelers who can carry on very basic communication in Spanish, like the authentic but not too gritty, are equally ok with rustic of more upscale, don't need pampering, are national and state park type people, and want to be active rather than just lying on a beach and relaxing.

Here's where it gets tough to choose how to spend the rest of our time.  Reserva Domitilia near Managua and Granada interests us.  There is a neat house rental--Hotel Roble-- on one of the isletas outside of Granada that sounds very intriguing.  Don't know if this would be paradise or a stupid idea.

The northwest highlands also sound good & we've have thought about Finca Esperanza Verde, el Jaguar or Selva Verde.  I'd like to see the cloud forest type environment they are in & would like to learn more about the local flora and fauna and the local way of life.  We live in the cold and snowy north and are very interested in Nicaragua's authentic natural places with unique things to see.  So, this is one set of choices.

There are 3 other totally different places we are contemplating, and we can only do one, if any.  Little Corn Island only because my husband is a fly fisherman and is interested in the bonefishing.  But, if the bonefishing is a bust we'll be stuck on a tropical beach island.  The Rio San Juan area for fishing for him and the opportunity to see nature type things there.  Our concern here is that we were recently in the far, far reaches of the Amazon rainforest in Peru and wonder if this will be a letdown after that experience.  But, in all honesty, we saw  lot of birds in Peru but not a lot of other wildlife.  The 3rd choice we are considering is kayaking in the Reserva Natural Padre Ramos and nearby Redwoods Beach Resort.

We'd really appreciate any thoughts.  We are looking for a quality experience rather than feeling we have run all over and seen a tad of everything.  Although we don't want to throw money away, we can afford to pay to make this come together as far as transportation.  We've rented cars and driven ourselves in 2nd world countries, but the developing countries we've visited, we've hired drivers.  We are willing to do either.  We don't mind public transportion but find it often wastes a lot of time, and we don't have much time. 

Which places would you suggest for us & what would logistically realistic?  Thanks for all the help.

[Randall Wood]

It's hard to know how to best guide you.  Domitila is probably quieter and more remote than you are thinking, as it caters often to scientists and naturalists.  I'm not familiar with the homestay in the isletas, though I think the isletas are pretty spectacular (but not unspoiled - lots of houses and boats out there).

The Rio San Juan is fantastic, but if you've been deep in the Amazon you'll find the RSJ a bit underwhelming.  It's gorgeous and interesting, sure, but it's got a lot of farm land on both sides, so you're not exactly cruising up into the hidden depths of unspoiled natural wilderness, unfortunately.  I also happen to like Little Corn, but if the idea of a tropical island is too passe for you, you might well enjoy the Padre Ramos, which is a lot farther off the beaten track and is much less touristed.

Hope that helps - it's not easy to help you figure out what you like.  Any of the places you mention would have potential; it's a matter of pinning down what kind of a trip you are really after. 

Best wishes - RW

[Nica Kayaker]

Greetings from Mechapa and the Redwood Beach Resort.
I have just moved half of our kayaks to this out of the way destination on the north end of the Padre Ramos Nature Reserve and Estuary.  I just wanted to let you know that you now have two options to kayak on this salty sea in search of herons, egrets, parakeets, and sea turtles.  In Jiquilillo you can stay at Rancho Esperanza or Monty's Surf Camp.  In Mechapa, there is the Redwood Beach Resort.  Either way, we kayak through narrow mangrove channels and into the open body of the estuary in search of a variety of marine life.  You'll be in the midst of some very expansive and untraveled coastline, surrounded by rural fishing communities.  There are also options to tour Punta Nata, Volcano Cosiguina, and other nearby destinations. 
I hope you'll look us up if you decide to explore this part of the country!
Jenn, Ibis Kayaking (Ibis.Exchange@yahoo.com) or (www.ibiskayaking.com)

[julies]

Thanks much.  I think we have decided not to do Little Corn.  Rio San Juan still sounds tempting in some ways but is quite expensive to pull together, and we are thinking if we want to spend that type of money we might just be inclined to go back to the Amazon in Peru.  I just don't know if the estuary area is all that different from other wild mangrove places we've visited.  We've been to some truly lovely, out of the way places like that in Florida and the Yucatan.

We have now been mulling all this advice over and are wondering if we should just eliminate all 3 of the truly more off-the-beaten path places and instead do something like this.

1 night.  Flight arrives at noon.  Spent afternoon and night at Laguna de Apoyo

2 nights at a private rental El Roble in las Isletas where there is a kayak available for us & some private boat service.

3 nights in Granada  (Or is this one too many since we'll already have been on las Isletas?)

3 nights in Ometepe

2 nights at either Selva Negra or Finca Esperanza Verde (would really like comments as to which is better here for truly enjoying hiking or horseback-riding and nature).

Final night     early evening arrival at hotel near Managua airport so we can catch our 7:30 am flight to the US

How does this sound in light of what I originally posted?  I know we don't get to see Leon this way, but we really don't want to just move around all the time.  Or, could I somehow fit in just a day visit to Leon at the end of the second night at one of the coffee plantations on my way back to Managua if I had a private driver or a car?  If I only spent 2 nights, rather than 3 in Granada, I could add in a day and night in Leon.

My final question has to do with transportation.  We've rented cars in places before where everyone advised against driving--Turkey, Romania, Poland, Lithuania, the remote Yucatan--and were fine.  And, we've often driven on dirt roads here in the US when we've been camping or out in more remote regions.  But, in Peru we hired a driver, and this was very nice too.  What is your advice as far as renting ourselves vs. using taxis or drivers?  We are certainly fine with public transportation but don't really want to waste a lot of time and can afford to pay for our own transportation.  I think the idea of being stopped by the police is one of the things that deters me the most about renting a car.

Thanks a whole bunch for your insights!

[Randall Wood]

Sounds reasonable.  I personally wouldn't take the 3rd night in Granada, but that's a very personal decision as I am kind of bored with Granada, having been there so frequently.  As for Selva Negra vs. Finca Esperanza Verde, it's a tough call as the two offer similar services but in differing ambiences.  They are both highly acclaimed.  Selva Negra is older and more accustomed to tourism while Esperanza Verde is younger and tries harder.  Truth is, you can't go wrong in either, and if you trim the day off of Granada there's no reason you can't spend a night or two in each.  3 nights in Ometepe is about right.

[julies]

Thanks for the time.    The tips have been invaluable because it is always so difficult for someone who hasn't visited a place to separate out the hype from what is really good.  Here is what I finally came up with, and I hope I don't consume too much tranaportation time with it.

1st night Catarina  because it is Dec. 31 and their fiesta San Silvestre

2 nights on the isletas

2 nights Granada

3 nights Ometepe

2 nights Finca Esperanza Verde

1 night Selva Negra

last night hotel by airport

This set up will also allow me to take the ferry from Granada right to Ometepe and eliminate some transportation time.  I appreciate all the advice.  Please tell me if there is something here that is out of whack.

 

[Timoteo]

Hi, Julies:

I've been to Selva Negra and to Finca Espernaza Verde, and I think your decision to spend more time at Finca is excellent. People I was with stayed overnight there, found the accommodations very nice. Had lunch there after taking about a 3 hour guided tour through the forest and a coffee planatation. The place is run by an ex-Peace Corps person, and he knows what he is doing. Bring your own hiking boots, they had boots, but not in all sizes. There are about three different hiking trails, the longest is about 6 hours, as I recall. You won't be far from Matagalpa, and that would be an interesting side-trip.

Catarina is very nice; try visiting nearby San Juan de Oriente, (one of los pueblos blancos), the pottery capitol of Nicaragua. It is close to being an artisan community, and the pottery is exquisite, and very reasonable.

Enjoy Nicaragua. It is a wonderful country,and the people are fantastic. 

Timoteo