The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
Mancarrón's greatest human-made gift is Nuestra Señora de Solentiname, where populist priest Ernesto Cardenal ran a rather enlightened parish. Constructed…
©Philip Lee Harvey/Lonely Planet
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
Perhaps Nicaragua's best kept secret and certainly one of its most unfairly overlooked regions, the steamy Río San Juan runs from Lago de Nicaragua into the Caribbean, forming the border with Costa Rica for much of its journey through the wilderness. The thick jungle here is a haven for migratory birds and dozens of animal species including jaguars, howler monkeys, alligators, sloths and fluorescent fingernail-sized tree frogs.
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The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
The second-largest tract of intact primary forest in the country, the Reserva Biológica Indio-Maíz is a vast wilderness and a hugely important rainforest…
Unión de Pintores y Artesanos de Solentiname ‘Elvis Chavarría’
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
Set in an old mahogany house uphill from the sheltered dock, this cooperative features the work of about 50 of the islands’ top artists and artisans…
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
Properly known as La Fortaleza de la Limpia Pura e Inmaculada Concepción, this photogenic fortress was constructed between 1673 and 1675, commissioned…
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
Administered by the Fundación del Río in San Carlos, this 90-hectare property borders Reserva Biológica Indio-Maíz, and offers a peek at the region’s very…
Sistema de Humedales de San Miguelito
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
The San Miguelito wetlands contain a handful of rivers, including the gorgeous Río Piedra, a glassy slice of black water framed by a dense tangle of…
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
The highest concentration of craft workshops on the islands are just inland from the dock in Comunidad El Mancarrón (also called El Refugio). Feel free to…
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
There's not much left of the town's fortress, which dates from 1724, but it enjoys some impressive Lake Nicaragua and Río San Juan views from several…
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