UAM International Programs: High, Low, Far and Wide~ A Hidden Outdoor Wonderland

One of the reasons I initially chose to study abroad in Nicaragua was the plethora of outdoor activities available and what seemed to me a wilderness much less open and accessible to the average traveler. We worked hard to get to many of the beautiful sights that Nicaragua provided, but each time we were rewarded with pristine forests, beautiful landscapes and a deep sense of accomplishment. Here's a snapshot of several places we visited, hiked, and swam along. The pictures never do it justice, but hopefully there are a few that will make you want to visit ASAP~

Las Isletas de Granada-

During the weekend that my roommate's family came to visit, we toured a set of islands in Lake Nicaragua that were created during one of the explosions of the nearby Volcan Mombacho. The volcano towers over the city, so it's easy to see how long ago, some blasts of lava found their way into the lake and solidified into a chain of islands with a tropical and wild feel. Many of the islands are inhabited and more than a few now have beautiful vacation homes of both wealthy locals and international investors.

To get to the islands, we hired a guide on shore and then rode a panga through the charming channels and around the unique homes. "Guide" is always a loose term, but we had a great time with our island resident and his boat captain friend, who seemed to know enough to answer a few of our questions and was more than willing to share secrets and fun facts once we convinced him we really could understand Spanish. The islands house a community of their own including a school and a few hostels, but nearly all supplies have to be brought over from Granada, including water.

Volcan Mombacho- Maker of Islands

Monkey Island

Vacation Home

Local Home

Cemetery Island

Volcan Mombacho-

Our Half Way Stop

View from the Top

After spending an afternoon under the shadow of the volcano, we woke up early the next morning to conquer the beast of a hike. To be fair, while I was aware that most people opted to take a truck to the top and just hike around the craters, I was unaware that the reasoning behind it was the deathly incline and lack of trails except for the long, paved road used by said trucks. Luckily, I was with friends that were willing to follow my crazy lead, and after many hours of fighting our way to the top, we felt incredibly accomplished and more than a little dumb. But the view was amazing and we were more in tune with our jungle warrior spirits than ever. We also managed to hitch a ride down part of the way down with the rest of our crew (my roommate and family) who were smart enough to book a tour.

Chocoyero-El Brujo-

Through our Spanish class, we had the opportunity to visit a few sites outside of Managua, including a beautiful nature preserve with ancient trees, a life-giving waterfall and some unique creatures. Our guide provided a long introduction to all of the local wildlife before leading us through several of the trails.

El Chocoyero Tree

The site was named after a local legend about a man who was given permission to bathe in the waterfall by a wizard, under the condition that he not tell anyone else the secret location. However, on his was out, Chocoyero spilled the beans and is now forever immortalized (in the nude) as a tree alongside one of the trails.
Along the way, we saw giant guayabon and ceiba trees, supposedly hundreds of years old. The cliff next to the waterfall is filled with hundreds of nests, home to the 'chocoyeros' (parakeets) that dive in and out around the waterfall all day. In the welcome center, one of the display boards was titled "Donde el bosque se transforma en Catedral." As an outdoor adventurer, this concept is a key reason why I so enjoy wandering through the woods and hiking in the wilderness. This panel compared the forest to a cathedral, which not only has intense symbolic meaning in the Central American region, but also related to the part of my that finds it easier to worship God when surrounded by His creation than within the walls of a church.

Cañon de Somoto-

This canyon is located in northern Nicaragua outside of the small town of Somoto. This region of Nicaragua is very poor and we were surprised by the large number of signs we saw for NGO's and aid projects around the area. We passed through on our journey north to El Salvador, and while the $13 tour seemed a little pricey, it was well worth the cool dip and gorgeous tunnels carved into the cliffs. Our guide was a 17-yr-old local, Josue, who led his first group when he was just six years old. We climbed, floated and jumped our way through the canyon, then ended with a beautiful hike through the Nicaraguan countryside.

Selva Negra-

Selva Negra is a beautiful cloud forest located on a the land of a German family that has lived in the region for generations. Our journey there took us back to Matagalpa, the central coffee region of Nicaragua, and to our first hot shower in well... all of Nicaragua. Once we arrived at the actual nature preserve, we wandered the grounds of the farm and ecolodge area, and then started on our trek through the cloud forest. One of my favorite parts was a beautiful church tucked into the base of the mountain that was open air and shrouded in green. The funky plants and trees kept us entertained as we wandered up and down the hills of the reserve, up the Atajo trail and down El Fuente de Juventud (The Fountain of Youth.) Four hours later, we were overjoyed to be greeted with delicious treats and fresh coffee back at the lodge.