El Chocoyero, back and forth

[mike2009]

Joshua:


My next trip will be to El Chocoyero. I will take my girlfriend so there's no room for mistakes and mishaps.

What's the best way for me to get there?
What time should I be back to Managua?
If I want to stay, where can I do it?
What should I take with me?

I want to take good shots of the forest, the fauna and more importantly the waterfall and the parakeets.

And afterwards, of course,  I'll post my pix and blog as usual.

look forward to your comments.

[Joshua Berman]

no room for mistakes and mishaps.

uh-oh, better stay home...

just kidding. to get there, grab a micro-bus in managua to ticuantepe or la concha (they leave from la UCA and pass south along the carreterra masaya), then either get off at the chocoyero entrance and walk 7 km, or hire a taxi ($10 or so) in ticuantepe to take you all the way in.

[mike2009]

Last Sunday I went to El Chocoyero. It was an enjoyable trip. It has a lot to offer for the traveler. Well-kept hiking trails, an amazing view of the mountains, cliffs and woods, a gorgeous waterfall and of course, the parakeets and their caves.

I posted my shots at http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/cmondragon/6/1262108097/tpod.html

Hope you enjoy it!

[Timoteo]

Mike: Que bueno! You made it to Chocoyero! It is an enjoyable experience, and by now, hopefully the only road in has been fully repaired. It was in horrible shape. For people not familiar with this place, it is a nature preserve not that far from Managua, and is famous for the thousands of brightly colored "chocoyos", or small parrots that nest in the cliffs beside a waterfall, well into the preserve. There is also a very interesting and well organized visitor's center, with great displays of flora and fauna, plus rest rooms. There are no places to eat, so eat beforehand, or bring some snacks. There are also young guides that you can hire to give you a guided tour, and the charge is very reasonable. There is an "entrance fee" to the trail, but again, it is very reasonable, maybe a few dollars (less for Nicas). Watch for the monkeys, too!

[mike2009]

Yes Timoteo, it's an amazing place.

the road is deteriorated though. there are a few paved streches, but for the most part it's in terrible condition. it's dusty and there are many holes. you have too drive a sturdy car or hire a caponera or mototaxi, which abound in the built-up area of Ticuantepe.

Althoug there are three hiking trails, one of them is closed, which is the one leading to El Brujo waterfall. They say that there's been some problems with landslides and now it's only available for scientific research.

Regarding the food stand, they do offer snacks and food, but it's mismanaged. We started our trip at about 3:30 p.m. and we were back at 5:30 p.m., but the cooks at the stand told us to wait for an hour for the "asados" to be ready. However, it should have been ready since before our arrival as there are no more tours after that time.

Despite all those inconviniences, the trip is worth it and the howler mokeys are not a nuance after all, but they are noisy.