… the right time and the right place for turtle lovers, an excellent tour for families, couples and nature lovers

Day 1

Morning 9am – Drive to Rivas and Banana Plantation Tour

The area of Rivas is a lush rain forest area full of banana plantations which are harvested year round. Our first stop along the way will be at the church Iglesia de Popoyuapa declared “Santuario Diocesano” in the city of Rivas. This historical site is visited each year one week before Easter by thousands of families travelling in ox carts to partake in the celebration of Jesus del Rescate.

Continuing north we will travel through the small rural community of Buenos Aires until we reach the “North American Plantain Farm”. This is a flourishing third generation family owned and operated business since 1961. “North American Plantain Farm” pays close attention to the ethics behind their operation. Not only are their products natural, they also hire mostly women in an effort to contribute to the gender segregation experienced in many small communities throughout Nicaragua. They also have a project where a portion of their profits from a specific product goes towards helping children with cancer.

You will not find any factories or expensive machinery here, only people working with their hands. We will learn everything about plantains. We will meet the farmers and learn about their way of life and everything from planting, maintaining a healthy crop and the entire process from cutting, cleaning, selecting the plantains to processing and finally selling them to the neighboring communities and large corporations.

Afternoon – Lunch and Mirador Sightseeing

We will then journey further south the Port of San Juan del Sur, an important attraction of Nicaragua and home to many expats and young backpackers who come to surf the famous waves of Madera Beach. We will have lunch overlooking the bay and spend the afternoon sightseeing.

Evening – Drive to Playa el Coco and Check In at Hotel Maritimo el Coco and Turtle Tour 15 minutes further south we will arrive at La Flor Natural Reserve, 800 hectors on the southwest coast of Nicaragua. The reserve has beautiful white sandy beaches, tropical dry forests and mangroves. It is home to coyotes, skunks, different varieties of monkeys, iguanas and hundreds of birds, but its real claim to fame are the 30,000 “Olive Ridley” turtles that nest here between the months of August to December, the peak season being October and November.

Things to See and Do

We will visit a banana plantation, have lunch in San Juan del Sur, take a short hike to see the view from Cristo de la Misericordia and spend approximately 2 hours looking for turtles.

Meals included today are lunch.

Day 2

Morning 930am – Horse Back Riding on the Beach

Afternoon – Drive to Playa el Ostional

Playa el Ostional is the most southern point in Nicaragua and in the past has survived as a fishing town. More recently it has added income from a slowly building tourist industry. The population is approximately 1000. Here you can find sport fishing, dolphins, whale watching and a variety of beach activities. This beach is truly one of the nicest beaches on the Pacific side of Nicaragua.

Evening – Turtle Watching in La Flora

Things to See and Do

We will enjoy a horse ride on the beach and visit a small fishing community and spend the afternoon on the beach returning to La Flora for more turtle watching.

Meals included today are breakfast and lunch.