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Granada Travel Club – Mountain Trip

Hi Granada Travel Club,

How would you like to go to a Mountain Retreat in the COOL Mountains of Nicaragua for a couple of days?

We are off for a Matagalpa/Selva Negra/Jinotega trip

When:  April 22, 23, 24 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

As with planning any trip, the challenge is what do you see and do in a short time.  One of the travel books I was reading was suggesting 5-6 days for the area.  We have three days and two nights.  Obviously, everything will not be done.  After all, we must leave something for our next visit.  So we have built in the itinerary some time for optional activities/sights.

We are lucky to have Steve Owens on the trip as well as Marti.  Steve is a professional photographer, as many of you know, who is advising/helping/teaching photography in Granada.  This is a beautiful area and many wonderful photo opportunities -anything from the guy selling an Iguana on the side of the road to the fresh vegetables in the market to the outstanding landscape.  So Steve may stop the van for photo opportunities. What a bonus for us all.

Itinerary:

Leave Granada early Tuesday April 22.

Scheduled stops

Sebaco – well known for produce and fruit market.  It truly is an incredible display of fruits and vegetables.  Great photo and eating opportunity

Matagalpa

Matagalpa City tour

El Castillo del Cacao-The “Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory of Nicaragua”.  Complete with museum as well as a production facility.  Great facility that has a way of combining old ways with newer technology.

Matagalpa – Museo de Cafe  Seems fitting to go to the Coffee Museum if you are in the middle of the coffee producing area of Nicaragua.  Don’t know if this will actually happen as we heard that they were renovating and we have no email or telephone # to verify.

Additional Opportunities

We believe there is time in the schedule to do/see something else so it will be up to the group:

La Laguna De Moya – apparently good bird watching and evidently there are places to eat serving fish from the lake

Ciudad Dario – A museum of the birthplace of Dario. petroglyphs on the outside of town, La Posa de Las Yeguas – a deep spot in a creek where it is said that unfaithful women turned into mares

Chaguitillo – Petroglyphs

or get to Selva Negra earlier and have a Tona.

Eve of day 1 – Selva Negra

A few words about Selva Negra.  Its a wonderful Mountain Resort.   Here is a brief history from Wikipedia

In the 1850s when gold was discovered in California, many American and European passengers made their way to California crossing the Isthmus of Central America through Nicaragua. On one of those trips, a German couple (Ludwig Elster and Katharina Braun) from the region named Black Forest (Selva Negra in Spanish) in Germany chose to stay in Nicaragua rather than continue to San Francisco. Instead of looking for gold they planted the first coffee beans in this region. Coffee came to be of very good quality, so soon many other Europeans and Americans showed up to do the same.

One hundred years later a new couple, Eddy Kühl and Mausi Hayn, descendants of the fWirst settlers, thought of building a tourist resort in the same area to recreate the dream of the first settlers. The scenic mountains already drew visitors to the nearby Hotel Santa María de Ostuma. The resort was finally completed between 1975 and 1976. They built, all German style: 23 mountain bungalows, an additional building with 14 hotel rooms, a youth hostel, bar and restaurant, conference rooms, and a rustic non-denominational chapel.

The activities are all eco-touristic: mountain hiking, horseback riding, birdwatching,and tours of the coffee plantation. The farm is well known for protecting the forest, birds, and wildlife sanctuary. Kühl has also devoted himself to preserving and recording the region’s history.

We will spend the night of day one April 22nd and April 23rd at Selva Negra

Day 2 Selva Negra

What can you do at Selva Negra?

Walking-Photography-Hiking-Birdwatching-Horseback Riding-Relaxing

Also there are organized tours

Nature Tour – US$15 per person per hour

Farm Tour – US$7 per person per hour

Coffee Tour – US$15 per person per hour

Night Tour – US$10 per person per hour

We are also hoping that Steve Owens will give some pointers on nature photography.

It is a magical place and it is cool.

Day 3 Jinotega.

Itinerary for Day 3

The road from Matagalpa to Jinotega is considered one of the most scenic in Nicaragua.  It is no time to be reading your Kindle.  Look out the window – it is beautiful.

Walk around the city – its cool and not a big place – time for a walk

Market The market is worth a look.  Jinotega feels a bit like it is on the edge of the world.  The roads toward Honduras seem to all become dirt roads outside of Jinotega.  It is a city that the farmers come in to get their goods.  Interesting market.

La Biosfera   We were told one thing not to miss in the Jinotega area was La Biosfera – nature, forest under preservation, clean water cultivation, low eco-footprint, cave with fruitbats, waterfalls, fresh and inexpensive food, musical instruments, telescopes, libraries, games (backgammon, chess, puzzles, cards etc), pool (under some repair), temescal (Mayan sauna), great view, fresh winds, lodge, camping, forest bungalow, etc..

El Valle De Tomatoya – this is the place that produces the regions famous black pottery

San Rafael-a town in the clouds.  Beautiful church.  Beautiful area.

We will return to Granada Thursday night

The van will be with us for all three days.  Martin, our driver for the Leon trip, will be our driver.  We will be staying at Selva Negra for 2 nights April 22 and 23.

Cost – for transportation and 2 nights (based on double occupancy) is $140 per person.  This includes tip and taxes.  We are required to commit this to the transport company and the hotel before our departure.

All costs above the room and transport will be the responsibility of each individual.

Please let Marti Owens know at [email protected] know by Tuesday noon if you are interested in being a part of this adventure.  All pricing is based on a minimum of 10 people going on the trip.

We will confirm your place and send you more details.

Much appreciation to all that worked to put this together and get the word out.  Many thanks to Anita, Darrell, Amy, Steve, Marti and also to Dora, Suzanne, Maria, and Mausi.

Let the adventures continue.

Jeannie Koons    Granada, Nicaragua