Nicaragua Ecotours
For those looking for unspoiled charm and heritage, preserved Spanish colonial cities, natural attractions that abound with birdlife and wildlife, beautiful beaches, and distinctive forms of dance, music and festivals Nicaragua has this and much more to offer. Experience the richness of Nicaragua!
Discover Nicaragua
Day 1: Arrive Managua
You are met at the Managua Airport and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2: Leon and Leon Viejo
After breakfast you head for the colonial town of Leon, an area of volcanic activity and tropical dry forest. En-route you stop at the ruins of Leon Viejo and enjoy a walking tour.
Leon, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is nothing but ruins. Founded in 1524 it was one of the most important cities of the region but in 1610 Momotombo volcano erupted. People abandoned the city and rebuilt a new Leon 30 kilometres west of the Leon Viejo. Even though Leon Viejo was abandoned, it is a confirmation of the 16th century Spanish Empire's economic and social importance. The site preserves the original layout of the first cities built in the Americas. The site also illustrates the materials tested for future buildings in the New World. The remains of the old city were discovered and scientific excavation began in 1999.
After the tour you continue to Leon, where you have lunch. Rest of the day at leisure. (B, L)
Day 3: Matagalpa
This morning transfer to Matagalpa. This mountainous area has wonderful scenery and offers many possibilities for hiking and other nature-related activities. Matagalpa is also famous for its coffee production and it is an excellent place to learn more about how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed.
En-route to Matagalpa visit San Jacinto to explore a volcanic field. Behind the village are fumaroles, boiling mud holes connected to the Telica volcano. The area has the appearance of a Martian landscape which you explore with your guide. (B)
Day 4: Matagalpa
Free day to enjoy the activities offered by your lodge. Take a coffee or cacao tour, hike Cerro El Calvario or Cerro Apante Natural Reserve, birdwatch or mountain bike in El Arenal Nature Reserve, tour Matagalpa City, or just relax at the lodge. (B)
Day 5: Granada and La Isletas Tour
This morning travel to the city of Granada. Built by the Spanish conquistadors in 1524, Granada is known for its beauty, colonial architecture, and access to Lake Nicaragua and its islands, Mombacho Volcano and Masaya and its folklore.
Tour Granada by traditional horse-drawn carriage and on foot. You visit the San Francisco Convent and Church (1529) and the Xalteva Church and the old city walls, which is the oldest part of Granada. Climb the bell tower of Merced church for spectacular views over the city, Lake Nicaragua and Mombacho volcano.
In the afternoon you discover Las Isletas de Granada by boat. Las Isletas de Granada consists of about 365 small islands of volcanic origin, situated at the foot of the impressive Mombacho Volcano. Your guide will point out the flora and fauna. There is also a stop on one of the islands. (B)
Day 6: Masaya and the Pueblos
A full day tour of Masaya and surrounding villages. Your day begins with a visit to Masaya Volcano National Park, Nicaragua's first national park, established in 1979 and considered one of Nicaragua's most interesting and beautiful natural phenomena. Peek inside this active volcano.
Your next stop is Masaya Marketplace, well known for its local handicraft selection, such as leather goods, artistic weavings, and colourful traditional clothing.
Enjoy lunch overlooking the Apoyo Lagoon before continuing to San Juan del Oriente, one of the Pueblo Blancos villages and known for its pottery and ceramics. Return to Granada. (B,L)
Day 7: Ometepe
Today transfer by land and ferry to the island of Ometepe. You are met and transferred to your lodge. Your lodge is located on an organic farm and offers a multitude of activities. (B)
Day 8: Ometepe
Today tour the main sights of Ometepe. The tour begins with a visit to Finca Magdalena, a community farm, and the petroglyphs found around the finca. Continue to the mystical Charco Verde lagoon where you guide introduces you to the flora and fauna of the area and tells the legend of “Chico Largo’. End your day with a swim in Ojo de Agua, a natural water pool, and a visit to a Pre-Columbian museum. (B,L)
Day 9: San Juan Del Sur
Transfer by boat and land to San Juan del Sur, an ideal way to enjoy beach and nature.
Your lodge is part of a 1000 hectare reforestation project and an 800 private nature reserve that hosts a diversity of animals including three different kinds of monkeys, sloths, white tipped deer, and an extensive variety of birds native to this tropical region. The property boasts a 1 mile-wide sandy bay. (B,L,D)
Day 10: San Juan Del Sur
Free day to enjoy the beach or the many activities offered by the lodge. You may want to kayak through the estuary listening to the sounds of tropical birds and other animals, take a guided jungle two hour hike with possible sightings of monkeys, sloths, coatis, agouti and tropical birds, or discover the jungle on a night walk, or join the monkeys and birds high up in the tree-tops as you zip line across the Nicaraguan forest, or you might want to learn how to surf, or spot turtles (September to January). (B,L,D)
Day 11: San Juan Del Sur
Free day to enjoy the beach or the many activities offered by the lodge. (B,L,D)
Day 12: Departure
Early this morning transfer to the Managua International Airport for your flight home. (B)
Tour Information
Tour Length: 12 days /11 nights
Departures: Daily
Minimum Number of People: 2 based on Double Occupancy
