Nicaragua Family Adventure

Lost World Adventures itineraries can be tailor-made according to your plans and preferences: budget, hotel selections, travel dates, optional excursions, length of trip, etc.

Day 1 : Managua

You will be met at the Managua Int’l Airport upon arrival and transferred to your hotel. Overnight Camino Real Hotel, breakfast included. The Camino Real Hotel, Convention Center and Casino is conveniently located near the Managua International Airport.

Hotel amenities and facilities include Casablanca restaurant, swimming pool, tennis court, lobby bar, restaurant, fitness center and Spa, Business Center, free Wi-Fi Internet access, casino. Guest rooms have Two Queen Size Beds or one King bed with, cable tv, high speed internet connection, room service.

Day 2 : Managua – Leon

You will be met at your hotel and tranferred to Leon. On the way stop in a village to try the famous “Quesillo” (white cheese served in a tortilla, with onion and sour cream) and a “tiste” (juice made of corn). See the way tortillas are made in the kitchen!

Cerro Negro Volcano was born in 1850, it is one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua. Cerro Negro “Black Mount” is the most recent of a group of four very young cinder cones in the central Maribios. Last big eruption was August 1998. Hiking to the top takes less than an hour; a rough trail has been made across the rocks and volcanic ashes. Temperature can be very hot as there is no vegetation at all, ranging between 30 and 48 degrees, Celsius.

The overwhelming view from the active crater will be the reward. From the top, you can observe the crater of Telica, another active volcano, as well as the Pacific Ocean, 20 miles away.

Optional activity: “Sandboarding” – the new exciting sport which allows visitors to descend the black sands of Cerro Negro strapped onto a board. You will receive a short technical training from your experienced bilingual guide. Put on the protective equipment provided for your safe descent and get ready for the ride of your life!

It is possible to do a short test run inside the crater, before heading to the steeper outer rim for the real descent. After some final orientations you will board all the way down to the base of Cerro Negro. Some experience with (snow) boarding is recommended but not mandatory.

Overnight Hotel El Convento, daily breakfast included – 2 nights. The Hotel El Convento is located in the heart of the city of León, Nicaragua, on the site of the former San Francisco Convent. Its colonial buildings and lush gardens offer a unique atmosphere which will make your stay a very pleasant experience. The hotel offers comfortable guest rooms, a cafeteria and a gourmet restaurant.

The hotel has 31 executive rooms, each with two queen size beds, and one suite with one king size bed and a lounge area. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, private bathrooms with bath and hot water, cable TV, telephone, Wi-fi Internet access, refrigerator, hairdryer, safe deposit box.

Day 3 : Leon – Juan Venado Wildlife Reserve

Go with an expert guide to the coastal estuary wildlife refuge of Juan Venado. Here you will navigate the brackish waters of the reserve in a motorboat to observe numerous wading birds like the Roseate Spoonbill. You will also be able to observe iguanas, crocodiles and other wildlife that inhabitant this mangrove forest and barrier island After your tour you will return to your hotel in Leon.

Day 4 : Leon – Montibelli Wildlife Reserve and Masaya National Park – Granada

This morning, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to La Concha, Montibelli Wildlife Reserve. This is a private reserve that measures more than 160 hectares. Lunch is included.

The reserve lies on Managua’s sierra and its altitude ranges from 360 to 720 meters above sea level. Most of the area is covered with tropical dry forest, and many different types of animals and plants inhabit the reserve. Along with your local guide you will visit two fincas (ranches).

First, visit “Finca El Jicaro”, a property dedicated to the harvest of rice, avocado and pineapples, as well as raising cattle. You will observe how “cuajadas”, a variety of local cheese and tortillas, are made. Then visit “Finca El Eden” and see all the fruits that are grown here such as lemons, oranges, coconuts among others.

This property also has a forest of precious wood. Lunch “campestre”-style will be served in the property.

Afterward, continue to Masaya National Park. Masaya is Nicaragua’s first national park, created in 1979, one of the country’s most interesting and beautiful natural phenomena. It comprises an area of 54 km2 with more than 20 km of scenic roads and trails, leading to and around the one impressive volcano and five formidable craters; one of them currently displays gaseous activity and most recently a lava lake was originated and it is visible inside the main crater of the volcano. Take a peek into the crater and enjoy a truly nature marvelous!

Afterward, you will continue to Granada.

Overnight Hotel Plaza Colon, daily breakfast included – 2 nights. The Hotel Plaza Colon is located right in front of Parque Colón, known as Parque Central in the historical city of Granada. Hotel facilities include 27 luxury guest rooms, swimming pool, concierge desk, business center, free Internet access, coffee shop.

Room categories include Superior (1 King/Queen or 2 Queen beds), Balcony (1 King/Queen or 2 Queen beds), Suite with Balcony.

Day 5 : Granada

You will be met at your hotel after breakfast and set off by bicycle through Granada for Lake Nicaragua. Granada is the oldest colonial city in the Americas, founded by the Spanish in 1524. Touring Granada will transport you back to the colonial times: classical and neo-classical buildings, horse-drawn carriages.

Ride along rural paths to the Asese peninsula. Afterward, set off for a kayak tour. See the most beautiful islands in Lake Nicaragua and their rich flora and fauna, discover some of the 356 islands “Isletas”.

You will observe the local fauna (monkeys, migrating and non-migrating birds) as well as a lush vegetation and flora, and the isletas’s inhabitants named the “Isleños”, the community of about 2000 live in simple yet decent conditions from fishing, small agriculture and now tourism. Return to Granada in bikes, and free time to relax and explore the city.

Day 6 : Granada – Mombacho – Ometepe Island

You will be met at your hotel and transferred to Mombacho Natural Cloudforest Reserve. The Mombacho Volcano, at 1400 meters, is now extinct and covered by lush vegetation. This has created a rich ecosystem with 50 species of mammals, 174 species of birds, 30 of reptiles and 750 species of flora.

A powerful truck will drive you to the top of the extinct volcano, through coffee plantations to the cloud forest, which offers exceptional sites to discover its flora and fauna. Once at the volcano top you will hike the ‘Crater Trail’ around one of the volcanoes’ 3 craters (around 1h30m hike).

Along the way there are several lookouts that boast stunning views (weather permitting) to the crater and its lush vegetation, the city of Granada, the smoking Masaya volcano, Lake Nicaragua and the Islands. Howler monkeys can frequently be observed or heard.

Afterward, continue by car to San Jorge. From San Jorge depart on the one-hour ferry to Ometepe Island. You will be met by a local driver upon arrival and transferred to your lodge.

Overnight Hotel San Juan De La Isla, breakfast included. Comfort, privacy, great lake and volcano views, authentic Nicaraguan hacienda style, a long sandy beach.

Day 7 : Ometepe Island – San Juan Del Sur

Ometepe Island Tour
A visit to the main sites of Ometepe Island in company of your local bilingual guide. First visit the Green Puddles lagoon in Charco Verde’s Reserve. Hike through the forest and enjoy the nature and you can also observe the main land which is visible on the horizon from this side of the island.

The lagoon provides a shelter place for many birds as well. Later, if desired, stop to visit the “El Ceibo” museum, probably one of the best archaeological museums of Nicaragua. It will give you a great sense of the history of the island from ancient times to recent times. Later, you will go for a short walk in the middle of a tropical forest, listening to birds singing and monkeys chattering before enjoying lunch.

This afternoon you will be transferred to the Ometepe docks and board the ferry to the mainland. Transfer by private vehicle to San Juan del Sur, a small and typical fishing village located on a bay overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Day 8 : San Juan Del Sur

Day at leisure.

Day 9 : San Juan Del Sur – Managua

You will be met at your hotel and transferred to Managua.

Overnight Camino Real Hotel, breakfast included.

Day 10 : Int’l Departure

Transfer to the Int’l Airport.