Description
The mountainous community of La Reina, located in the municipality of San Ramón in the department of Matagalpa, is home to the farmer cooperative ´Danilo Gonzalez’, which is part of the de Agricultural Union of Cooperatives, UCA San Ramón. This cooperative offers ecological and collaborative activities like hikes through the nearby, bosky mountains, walks through the tunnels of an old and very productive mine, and activities to learn more about the local coffee producers.
The main community attractions are tours around the historic gold mine, Santa Teresa the patron of the community and an extensive forest area.
The temperatures in this area are very comfortable, due to the height of the mountains which range from 780 to 1200 meters above sea level. In the mountains visitors can hike the trails and get into the forest where a large variety of plants, birds, monkeys and other animals can be admired. The mountain hike is realized by guides; each can attend a group up to 7 people (among US$15 and US$20 per group).
Another interesting attraction in the area is the old gold mine, where one can walk through the tunnels which show interesting rocky formations. Here, visitors receive information about the history of the mine and interesting people who passed through it. There is an entrance fee of US$1 per person.
In the community, the visitor can get to know every single step of cultivating coffee and participate in sowing, maintaining and harvesting. Another activity offered by the community is a class on how to make traditional Nicaraguan food (among US$45 and US$100). Horseback riding is also offered.
The people of the community offer rooms (among US$10 and US$15 per person/day) to receive tourists in their houses, which allows the visitor a rustically and real countryside experience. Food is also served at these guesthouses for rates among US$3 and US$5 per plate.
Note
-La Reina Community Facebook profile
Getting There
La Reina is located at a distance of 18.5 kilometers from Matagalpa and 3 kilometers from San Ramón, and it can be reached by public buses that leave from Matagalpa. To realize a visit to this community, be sure to contact UCA San Ramón at least 24 hours in advance.
Comments
Madison Pope wrote on Jun 15, 2015:
I went on a trip to Nicaragua with my school this year, and La Reina was our second stop after Granada. We stayed with a host family there for 2 nights and 3 days. I can honestly say that it was a life changing experience, and I cant stop telling people about my stay there. The families we stayed with were absolutely amazing and so welcoming. They made such a huge effort to communicate with us in spite of the language barrier and they made us feel like part of their family. The scenery was breath taking and the hiking was beyond exciting! I cant wait to go back!!!!!