I started my travelling in Costa Rica and then continued to Nicaragua, a charming country relatively untouched by tourism. The highlight of my trip through both countries was three days in Los Guatuzos, a protected area consisting of tropical wetlands, forest, and wildlife refuge on the southern border with Costa Rica.
Not many tourists go through this part of Nicaragua because of a long trip to get there and mostly because it is off the main tourist path, but that is a mistake. After a 3 hour boat trip from San Carlos, you find yourself off the beaten track in the jungle. You can see different species of monkeys and sloths hanging off the trees, rich bird life, as well as iguanas, agouti and caimans which are also common in the area.
This is definitely the place not to be missed for true nature lovers.
Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge
Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge (Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos) has an area of 437.5 km2 and is located south of Lake Nicaragua and west of the San Juan River in Nicaragua. The site has been catalogued by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. It was the first national wetland to become a Ramsar site (international treaty for the environmental protection of the wetlands) in 1997. And is the only tropical wetland that is internationally recognized in Nicaragua. The reserve is named after the community of Los Guatuzos, an indigenous tribe that lived here and disappeared.
Los Guatuzos is a territory occupied mainly by the tropical rainforest. Here, the wetland ecosystem is predominant due to the 18 rivers, creeks and small lagoons located in it. The Reserve is also known for its rich variety of flowers, trees, and animals. Wildlife Refuge contains high populations of caimans, jaguars, panthers, families of howler monkeys and white-faced monkeys. There are also water turtles, iguanas, snakes, lizards, and other animal species. In the Papaturro community, you can find two breeding places with fresh water turtles and caimans.
There are 389 different species of birds that have been recorded and can be viewed between the months of February and April. You can see great egrets, blue and green heron, kingfishers, hummingbirds, ducks, parrots, hawks and cormorants as well as parakeets and many other species. This number does not include thousands of migratory species that visit this area.
The fauna at Los Guatuzos is also varied and interesting. In addition to the great number of species of orchids, there are a great number of tree species and plants, like the Poponjoche, and Oaks. The vegetation of the swamp is abundant in the area.
Getting There
From La Fortuna (Costa Rica)
You can cross into Nicaragua from Costa Rica with bus or by boat. We went to San Carlos from La Fortuna in Costa Rica with buses. We took a bus from La Fortuna to Muelle at 9.00. After 45 minutes we reached the bus station at Muelle and hopped on a connecting bus to Los Chiles (Tablillas – border), where we arrived about 1.30 hours later. The cost of both buses was around US$7.
On the Costa Rican side, buses drop passengers off right at the border. After passing through Costa Rica immigration you have to walk a 100 meters to the Nicaraguan immigration office. The exit tax for Costa Rica is US$5 plus US$2 service fee. The entry fee for Nicaragua is US$12 plus US$1 for the municipality tax. Not many people use this remote border crossing, which means it is empty and very fast and easy to go through immigration procedures on both sides.
After the immigration procedures, you just walk down the road to the mini-vans drop off / pick up point which takes you to San Carlos. They depart when full, generally they departure every 30 minutes and arrive in San Carlos bus station after 50 minutes.
Another option is to take a bus to Los Chiles, there you can cross into Nicaragua by boat. The boat leaves at 13:00 from Los Chiles and arrives in San Carlos around 15:00. It costs C$7000/US-$ 14. Before leaving you have to pay an additional port tax.
From Managua/Granada
If you are already in Nicaragua you can take a “chicken bus” from Managua or Granada. The buses from Managua departure from the Mercado de Mayoreo bus station. The journey takes 6-7 hours and costs C$150/ US$6.5. Departure times are: 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 9:15, 10:15, 1:30, 17:00, and 18:30. It is better to double check these departure times. Some buses from Managua go direct to San Carlos, and some just go to Juigalpa where you need to change the bus.
Buses from Granada run on Mondays and Thursdays at 11:00 and 14:00. The bus station in Granada is at the waterfront and does not pass through Managua.
You can also catch a flight with La Costaña to San Carlos from Managua on Thursday and Sunday at 11:30 (~US$150 round trip). The airports in Sun Juan del Norte and on Ometepe have scheduled flights to and from San Carlos as well.
There used to be a ferry (twice a week) from Granada which final destination was San Carlos and had a stopover in Ometepe Island. For the last 3 years, the ferry isn’t running but according to the State sources, it will be reactivated soon.
Boat to Los Guatuzos (Rio Papaturro)
To get to Los Guatuzos you need to take a boat from San Carlos pier. The boat leaves at 9:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday and costs C$105/ US$4 (one way). You can buy a ticket on the day of departure on the pier. I recommend to be there at least at 8:00 to buy a ticket and do not forget to put your name on a passenger manifest. We were there at 7:30 and the best seats were already taken. So we put our backpack on a wooden bench (seats) and went for a Nicaraguan breakfast to a waterfront restaurant. After breakfast, we went back on the boat which was now completely full of cargo and people sitting shoulder to shoulder. Thankfully our backpacks were still reserving our space on a bench in the middle. We were the only non-locals on board so all eyes were on us.
The journey takes around 3 hours. Halfway there on Lake Nicaragua
The last part of the boat trip, as you enter the Rio Papaturro into the heart of the Nicaraguan jungle, is stunning. You can see a variety of tropical birds, monkeys, iguanas, and caimans. At the Papaturro station, your passport will be checked and thorough search of all luggage.
If you don’t want to take the slow and busy public boat you can arrange a pickup in San Carlos with Armando from Cabañas Caiman (price is US$150). But taking the public boat is much cheaper and also an interesting experience.
Where to stay & eat
There are two accommodations available in Los Guatuzos:
- Centro Ecologico Los Guatuzos
- Cabañas Caimán
Centro Ecologico Los Guatuzos is a research centre that offers guided excursions and lodging in the park. It also has a butterfly farm, a meteorological station, turtle and caiman nursery and an orchid display of 92 different species. Cheapest room there is $15 per person in a dorm. To make a reservation send email to the Centro Ecologico: info@losguatuzos.com.
We stayed at Cabañas Caimán with Armando &
There are not many options for food which makes it expensive. There are 3 restaurants in the village and two small shops to get basic stuff. You can eat all meals at Cabañas Caimán. Another restaurant is across the bridge. In both, each meal costs US$10. If you go a little further down the road towards the border you will find a restaurant, where other locals eat. This the cheapest option in the village. The meals cost around C$100/US$3.
Tours in Los Guatuzos
Los Guatuzos is very isolated so you really are in the middle of the jungle. You do not need to go far to see wildlife. You can just sit outside the cabin at the waterfront and you will spot the majority of animals. Many animals are easily spotted all over the village and there are also guided walks available through the Centro Ecologico or Armando with Cabañas Caiman.
The best way is to combine the tours that Centro Ecologico and Cabañas Caimán are offering with self-guided walking’s. Centro Ecologico had a guided hike and the option to rent a kayak to explore the River Papaturro. Cabañas Caimán offers 3 different tours: night tour by boat, walking tour at the crack of dawn and afternoon boat tour. Each tour costs US$60. The tour is cheap if you are in a big group or you can find someone there to share it. Unfortunately, we (me and my boyfriend) were the only tourist in the village during our stay, which made those tours expensive.
Below is a list of activities for a budget traveller and for those who want to get the most out of their stay in the jungle.
Walking tour at the Centro Ecologico
At the
Walking tour at crack of dawn with Armando from Cabañas Caimán
You can also do the jungle walk with Armando at Cabañas Caiman. The tour cost US$60/tour and last about 4 hours. We start this tour just before dawn. We started with a river cruise, spotting caimans along the way, followed by a 3 km trek into the jungle. Along the way, we swung like Tarzan, saw poisonous blue jeans frog, giant ants, loads of other animals, and trees that are over 500 years old, a cacao plantation, and achiote tree. Don’t forget to take a water bottle with you.
Armando is an expert when it comes to wildlife. The only downside is that he only speaks Spanish.
Night tour by boat with Armando from Cabañas Caimán
This tour is a must when in jungle cause it gives you the opportunity to see the most animals. During the 3 hours night tour, you can get very close to sleeping birds, caimans and also see the red-eyed tree frogs. Most people describe this tour as the most movingly magical experiences of their life. The tour cost US$60/tour.
Afternoon boat trip with Armando from Cabañas Caimán
We also booked the day boat trip with Armando. The tour went along the River Papaturro into the wetland and down to Lake Nicaragua and back. We saw monkeys (howler, spider and capuchin), large iguanas, Jesus Christ lizards, snake, Butterfly bats, turtles, and lots of birds. You can also try wooden boards for wakeboarding behind the boat on the Lake Nicaragua. The tour last for 4 hours and cost US$60/tour.
Kayaking the river by yourself
If you want to avoid paying for the tour and want to be more adventures, you can rent a kayak at the Centro Ecologico for a half day trip along the River Papaturro. Price for a single kayak is US$10 and double US$15. You can also take the guided night kayak tour for US$45/group.
Walking by yourself
You can walk up to the Costa Rica border (around 7 km round trip) and you will view various monkey groups, sloths, variety of birds and we even spotted red-eyed tree frog. The walk with lots of stops takes about 2 hours up and down and it is free.
Basically, you can go on several hikes by yourself, just note that during the day it is very hot and humid.
Watch wildlife around your cabaña
You don’t need to go far or spend money to see animals. You can just relax outside you cabaña and watch the wildlife come within eyesight. We saw howler monkeys, white-faced monkeys and spider monkeys in the trees across the river and around our cabaña. There were iguanas too. Caimans and turtles were passing by in the river and of course, lots of birds. I was trying to take a good photo of hummingbird in flight. Even Jesus Christ lizards came very close while we were sitting in front of our cabaña.
Getting back to San Carlos
The boat returns to San Carlos on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday at 8:00. On the return trip down the river, the boat would be equally full of people and cargo.
From San Carlos bus station you can take a “chicken bus” to Managua. Buses leave San Carlos at 2:00, 6:30, 8:00, 11:45, 14:30, 18:00, 20:00 and 22:30 and cost C$150. “Chicken bus” is a long distance bus for locals, so it stopes at every 2nd tree to pick up or drop off passengers. At least you will have plenty of leg room and the seats are reasonably comfortable. On our way to Managua, there was only one 15 min stop to get some food and to go to the toilet (behind the tree). You can also buy food and drink from people selling it on the bus through the journey.
We took the first bus available after coming back from Los Guatuzos at 12:45 with bus change in Juigalpa, and arrived in Managua at 20:00.
Direct bus to Granada is on Tuesday and Friday.
Flights with La Costaña to Managua are on Thursday and Sunday at 13:15.
Practical tips:
- About mosquitos. There are way too many mosquitos in the morning and evening. Nothing can keep them away, not even DEET. You cannot protect yourself from them, they just bite through it all. Still, I recommend you to wear permethrin-treated long pants and shirts, a plentiful supply of DEET and head nets.
- Double check the bus and boat schedules with your host. There are no regular or fixed bus schedules, so you need to check everything in person at the bus station.
- If you are a budget traveller then these tips are for you: stay in a bunk room at Centro Ecologico for $15 per person, bring some food with you or eat down the road in a restaurant, watch wildlife around your cabaña and take hikes by yourself. A cheap option is to include a guided hike with Centro Ecologico (they will point out and find all sorts of animals plus they have caiman and turtle nursery) for $10 and to rent a kayak for $10. A
best guided tour worth investing money is the night tour with Cabañas Caimán, and the cheapest way to do this is to organise the guided night tour with the kayak at Centro Ecologico for US$45 for one to three visitors. - Try local chocolate. There is a small shop 20 metres from Cabañas Caimán down the road where they sell locally made chocolate that is delicious and cheap.
I can not recommend this destination enough, it is a must see and it should be in your itinerary, is the ideal destination to have direct contact with nature as you travel through pristine tropical forests. On your journey, you will see Nicaragua’s exotic animal life, and in addition, it also offers other activities such as hiking, kayaking, boat trips, walk on a suspension bridge, and others.
In the end, I do hope that this place stays quite small and quaint and untouched by mass tourism.
Thanks for this blog!
You inspired me to get to know this area and it is really an great hidden gem.
For all the future traveller’s I like to share some up-to-date hints:
The boat leaves San Carlos at 11am from the muelle (next to the municipio – not from the normal port!) and to return the boat from Guatuzos to San Carlos leaves at 9am (in both case I would also recommend to be early on the boat).
Tipp: when the boat goes into the river take your livewest and go on the roof if possible!
The centro ecologico didn’t answer to my emails so I stayed at las Cabañas für 21$ per night. (Unfortunately there’s no kitchen available to use and no general wifi, but you can fill up water for free.)
About the centro ecologico: if you like to contact them it’s the best to call them or just go there spontaneously (as I did it when I arrived). Important: they’re there from 8am- 5pm (sunday not!)
And last but not least: bring cash with you!
I’m glad this post inspired you to visit Los Guatuzos.
And thank you for the update.
Hi, your post has inspired us to visit Los Guatuzos! We also plan to go to Ometepe and Lago Apoyo, do you know if there is travel to San Carlos from Ometepe or is it better to go from Granada or Managua as you say in your blog?
Hi Karis, I’m glad you liked this post.
At the moment ferry between Ometepe and San Carlos is suspended because the water level of Lake Nicaragua is too low. When the ferry is back in service, there will be only one departure per week from Granada at 5pm, arriving at the port of Altagracia around 10pm and then continuing its journey to San Carlos on the Rio San Juan. Your best option is still a “chicken bus” from Managua or Granada.
Good evening!
We are a group of travelers coming from Costa Rica and we plan to cross the border to Nicaragua from Los Chiles. After arriving in San Carlos we were planning to take the ferry to Los Guatuzos. You write that there is a ferry from Los Chiles to San Carlos. If so, the boat probably has to go near or through Los Guatuzos. Is this a quicker way to get to the park? Thank you very much for your time
Georgios
Hi Georgios,
the boat from Los Chiles to San Carlos goes down the Rio Frio. The only way to Los Guatuzos is the boat from San Carlos, there is no shortcut.
Hi, inspired by your post we went to los guatuzos. Thank you for the tip, we had an incredible journey!
Our lancha from San Carlos left at 11am and was filled to the brim – there might be earlier boats but we were told to use that one. At the moment the is low due to the heat, so you need to get out of the boat in the Jungle (and when you return you drop off your backpacks at the harbour and venture back to the jungle to get on the boat). Back we took the boat at 9am which was pretty empty and luckily did not have benches only, but real seats which was a treat! Don’t miss out on the fish, it’s delicious, as is the maize based drink (even though it looks retroactively pink) they sell it over the side of the ship around the middle of the trip.
We contacted the Centro ecologico via Facebook, they gave us their WhatsApp number and were very helpful in organizing everything. I’m not sure if the dorm room, can be booked at the moment (the shared bathroom has no hut around it at the moment), but we only payed 25$ for a bed room for three people with private bathroom. Drinking water is provide for free. The centre will arrange for you to eat at Gloria’s “restaurant”, meals are 150 Cordobas (breakfast is cheaper) and portions are more than ample, plus its super delicious.
We booked three tours with the centre: the short one is basically the path behind the centre, the long one is the walk to the Costa Rican boarder. Both were were easy to manage for our ten year old, the heat at the moment is quite fierce at the moment though. We didn’t feel like the guide was required much, most of the animals we encountered we would would have spotted on our own (it’s hard to miss the monkeys with all the noise they are making), though we wouldn’t have seen the sloth without him and the tours were pretty cheap. Including the kayak tour, which we quite enjoyed, out bill came down to 140$ for three nights and the three tours for three people. If you want to save money, I suggest to only do the kayak tour with a guide, and do the others on your own.
Our biggest splurge was the nocturnal tour with Armando at 60$. Yes, it’s rather expensive, but definitely worth every single penny! It was certainly the highlight of our trip, as we saw sooo many animals (including caimans, an opossum , turtles…) and so many birds from really close up.
All in all, even though it was hot and dry, we saw all three species of monkeys that live in los guatuzos, a sloth, numerous different species of lizards, kollibris, kingfishers, caimans, and so many species of birds I can’t even remember.
Also, if you stay in San Carlos, and feel like a little splurging, stay at the hotel San Carlos. We’re paying 30$ for a three bedroom, super clean and lovely terrace with sea view (and since there is little else to do, we’re now having a few cool Toñas here).
Thank you for the update. I was hoping to check it out this week but we are short on time,so next trip for sure.
Hello Everyone!
Can anyone tell me whether the following taken from the article above is true: “Buses from Granada run on Mondays and Thursdays at 11:00 and 14:00. The bus station in Granada is at the waterfront and does not pass through Managua.”?
I caught one of these buses in 2019 but apart from the above I have found no mention of them online. I would love to catch one of them again because I would very much like to avoid going through Managua.
The “waterfront” is very long so if these buses are still running, it would also be very helpful to know where the bus stop is located.
Many thanks to whomsoever can help me with this.