Description
The Chocoyero Natural Reserve is a great place for hiking and nature watching. This reserve is located less than 30 kilometers away from Managua. The last seven kilometers are mostly unpaved and cross pineapple, coffee, and banana plantations. This will slow you down but the road never bores and the views are magnificent. Old, volcanic ridges surround the reserve, and there is nature all around.
The nature within El Chocoyero Reserve also has a lot to offer. There are several trails that take you to different types of forest and vegetation. With an abundance of water Chocoyero is always green and wildlife flourishes. Two types of monkeys inhabit the park: howler and white-face monkeys. The howler monkeys are bigger and black and (no surprise) howl a lot. They can be heard from far, but you will also have a good chance of spotting them from close by. Taking the Congo trail increases your chances of seeing those monkeys even more. The white-face monkeys are seen less frequently, but come down from the mountains in the afternoon and can then be seen from the regular trails.
Chocoyero also houses lots of birds. The reserve is famous for its chocoyos, green parakeets that all nest right next to a waterfall and can be seen in big numbers in the morning when they leave, and in the late afternoon when they return. The best time to see the birds is around 6:00 am or around 4:30 pm. Throughout the day they browse the area looking for food. There are numerous other birds and by hiring a guide you will be able to see more than only the easily recognizable ones like hummingbirds or motmots. The guides often spot animals you missed and they can tell a lot about the nature.
The trails in Chocoyero have different lengths and difficulties. The adventure trail leads up the mountain and takes six hours to complete. You will, however, have great views of the reserve and the surrounding area. There are even some cities you can see from atop (Managua included)! The other trails are shorter and lead to the waterfalls. There are two waterfalls: Chocoyero and El Brujo. The trail to El Brujo is steep but not that long. The Chocoyero waterfall is maybe 30 minutes away from the entrance, and you don't need to climb in order to get there. This is where the chocoyos nest.
The waterfalls are small but worth the hike. The water comes from rain further up in the mountains, and is collected to be used as drinking water in the communities nearby.
Chocoyero also offers the opportunity of staying in the park at night. The reserve has tents and a camping place in the middle of the forest. The price is less than US$5 for a tent (which can sleep two people).
There is staff present at the reserve 24 hours a day, and visitors can therefore arrive at any time. Special tours are also offered, including a night-hike, a bird hike with a specialist, and adventure hikes. One of these hikes starts outside the reserve, at the town of El Crucero, located along the Pan American highway. This is a spectacular forest hike with superb views of the Pacific basin, various volcanoes, hidden canyons and stunning flora and fauna, well worth the price of C$200. To discuss the options for one of these special hikes, be sure to contact the reserve beforehand.
Getting There
By vehicle:
To get to Chocoyero from Managua, take the highway to Masaya (carretera Masaya). At Km 14 take a right to Ticuantepe. After about 10 minutes take another right in the direction of San Marcos (this road is called La Concha). Then, at kilometer 21.5 there is a sign on the right that points to a dirt road and says "Chocoyero". Make a U-turn over here, and follow the signs to Chocoyero. A high-clearance vehicle is necessary for this road, and four wheel drive can be handy in the raining season when the road gets muddy.
Public transportation:
The town of Ticuantepe can be easily reached from Managua and other nearby cities. From Ticuantepe, there are small buses (microbuses) that head to Los Rios, a community close to the reserve. These (purple) microbuses leave every full hour between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm during the week and until 4:00 pm in the weekend. The price is C$6. From Los Rios, it is a three kilometer walk to the reserve. Another possibility is to take a red motortaxi from Ticuantepe to the reserve, which costs around C$80.
Online Reservations
We have 1 related tour(s) available that can be booked online.
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From US$43.00
Chocoyero Tour
By: Café Las Flores - Mombotour
Comments
Elizabeth Casaya wrote on Nov 5, 2018:
Buenos días Señores
Un gusto saludarles
Queremos realizar un día de recreación y actividades grupales para todo el personal (21 personas) y nos regalase pro-forma de los servicios que nos pueden brindar y costos.
Agradecemos su atención, quedamos a la espera de sus prontas respuestas.
Atentamente
Elizabeth Casaya
Je fe de Créditos y Cobros
P 2222 2448, ext 5115 W www.corporacioncek.com
Fernando Rojas wrote on Mar 29, 2018:
Por favor, pongan números telefónicos que alguien los conteste por que es engorroso llamar y no comunicarse y peor al número celular.
La idea es hacer mas accesible la comunicación para planeación.
Liam J Starkenburg wrote on Dec 8, 2016:
Phone number (505) 8660 6032 is wrong.
mariska wrote on Aug 26, 2015:
es hermoso quiero ir aya , megusta mucho , es lindo , megusta muchoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Martha wrote on Sep 22, 2014:
1. There are no buses running from Ticuantepe to Los Rios.
You need to take a moto which will cost you around 100-120 cordobas (per moto, not depending on the number of people). It will take you straight to the Reserve.
2. The birds can be seen all the time, not only at the hours mentioned.
3. There are 5 routes:
- 1 basic (around 1 hour) - until the waterfall Chocoyero
- 2 adventurous (around 1 more hour) - to the place where the waterfall starts
- 3 adventorous (around 40 minutes) - view point (volcan Masaya, lagoon)
- 4 wild (around 30 minutes) waterfall El Bruho (currently closed)
- 5 from Crucero, mentioned on the web site
Nahu Glando wrote on Feb 19, 2014:
I think the park is exciting and I would love to go there sometime.
josias wrote on Oct 26, 2013:
hello my name is josias good mornig pensi what is mey bonic
teankiu
Tamara Quintero wrote on Feb 26, 2011:
THxs!!!! for all the news,,,,and now i Know hot to go there.....tyhxsssss
Carlos Mondragón wrote on Nov 12, 2010:
I had the chance to visit this exotic reserve back in 2009.
I posted my shots at my web:
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/cmondragon/6/tpod.html
martin wrote on Nov 12, 2008:
hello everyone .thanks carlos for the E-mail my friend I got to visit el chocoyero it seems to be a excity trip .
Carlos Sanchez wrote on Nov 9, 2008:
Hi there,
Well let me tell you something, all of you are right, El Chocoyero-El Brujo Natural Reserve is an amazing and wonderful place to visite, a avariety of flora and fauna is found there and of course a pretty good adventure waiting for you. The Reseve offers good experience with its tour guides trained to do their best letting our visitors know all about the reserve and its beauty.
How come I know a lot ? I know very much about El Chocoyeo-El Brujo because I am from the community called Los Rios nearby the reserve and as a Natural Resources Technology Management student to know about this reserve, the reserve that provides the water source of my community is very important for me and for all the people that manage this nature there.
I'm glad to leave this commentt and I hope to see you my friends again very soon next year. I'll be there to share my knowledge with you and work much better..
Thank you very much,
Sincerely,
your friend
Marlon wrote on May 25, 2007:
The trip to El Chocoyero was wonderful. Apart from seeing an array of wildlife, the relaxation that came from the hike was definately worth every sweat. The guides that welcome you were extremely friendly and knowledgeable. They know about all the species of animals that one can possibly see and are extremely friendly, you will feel as if you've known them for a long time. The visitor center has a small museum with interesting collections from the rain forest it is located in. The trail to El Chocoyero waterfall is entertaining, as there are a series of markers that indicate natural attractions, such as a giant fig tree that allows for much wildlife to feed. Once at the waterfall, you can hear the prominent screeches of the Pacific Parakeet (Aratinga strenua), endemic to this part of Nicaragua only. They nest in the walls sorrounding the Chocoyero waterfall. The trail to El Brujo is much more intense and the trail is made out of rock. It is hard because the rock is very wet and slippery, not to mention moss growing everywhere. The final outcome of it, however, is breathtaking. El Brujo waterfall is larger than El Chocoyero and has more vegetation around it. It seems as if you are transported into a world so pristine that seems as if no human being has ever been on it. I recommend this place to anyone going to Nicaragua for an experience they will never forget.
David Rolfsema wrote on Feb 23, 2007:
My wife and I enjoyed a guided walk with the ranger who was a very good birder. We saw about 20 new species for us including a long tailed manakin, red throated ant tanager, streaked headed woodpecker, and yellow billed cacique. We were the only visitors on a beautiful January day.
Ron wrote on May 17, 2005:
Hi there! Me and my family have visited Chocoyero-El brujo several times, and it is really wonderful!
We've seen white-faced and howler monkeys, opossums, tons of parakeets, beautiful butterflies, and snakes (don't worry; they weren't poisonous), among many other things. Even if you don't care that much about seeing animals; just walking through the park is soothing and relaxing.
I definitely recommend everbody to go there; it's great!