FamTrip to discover the new touristic offer of Ometepe
Clementine Haudecoeur | Sep 29, 2015
National tour operators visited the new touristic offers of rural community tourism in Ometepe Island
On September 24th and 25th, the Fundación entre Volcanes and Amigos de la Tierra España organized a FamTrip for tour operators as part of the project Strengthening of local capacities for sustainable rural community development in the Reserve of Biosphere Ometepe Island, one of the subsidized projects of the Colonial and Volcanoes Route. This project, with a total budget of 105,769€, was financed by the European Union and the Nicaraguan Government, and received technical support from the Cooperation Agency of Luxemburg (LuxDev).
As executive entities of the project, one of the objectives of Fundación entre Volcanes and Amigos de la Tierra España was to design a rural community touristic circuit that would bring together the services offered by the Rural Community Tourism Network “Ometepe Promised Land” and by the Union of Guides from Ometepe (UGO).
Nowadays, thanks to the work achieved by both organizations, the Network and UGO have two touristic circuits to offer, under the brand Oasis de la Tierra – Tierra paraíso: Green Ometepe (Ometepe Verde) and Ancestral Ometepe (Ometepe Ancestral), detailed at the bottom of this article.
The familiarization trip took the representatives of 10 national tour operators and a representative of the Nicaraguan Association of Receptive Tourism through 9 different communities, in only 2 days, in order for them to know the 11 new rural community tourism initiatives included in the project, and for them to personally live the experience offered by the brand Oasis de la Tierra – Tierra paraíso.
Mirian Potoy, coordinator of the subsidized project 17, explains that this initiative had a double objective: first, to get a feedback from those professional of the sector in order to improve the offered services, second, to create agreements with those tour operators for them to include the initiatives of Oasis de la Tierra – Tierra paraíso in their rural community tourism packages.
The representatives from the tour operators were seduced by both circuits which show the lifestyle of Nicaraguan rural indigenous communities as much as the natural richness of Ometepe Island. We warmly invite you to discover the offer of Oasis de la Tierra – Tierra paraíso!
INFORMATION ON THE CIRCUITS:
Both circuits are of 3 nights and 4 days, and have a launching cost of US$52 per day and per person (the price varies if there are groups of more than 10 people).
- Green Ometepe:
A circuit for adventurers with high physical resistance, which focuses on natural elements, always related to rural communities. It emphasizes the contemplation and the exploration of the biodiversity of the island, Reserve of Biosphere.
The package includes activities such as:
- Hiking, horse riding, cycling o kayaking from the puesta del sol to the punta de Jesús María
- Climbing the Concepción volcano up to the Floral
- Observation of birds and twilight in Mérida
- Climbing up to the lagoon of the Maderas volcano
- Going up to San Ramón Waterfall
- Nights of cultural exchange
- Ancestral Ometepe:
Based on archaeological, anthropological and historical elements of the island, expressed in the communities. Focused on cultural tourism. Suitable for tourists of all age, with a minor level of difficulty.
This package includes:
- Community city tours in communities with ancestral remains
- Talks on indigenous community History
- Local gastronomy class
- Promenade or photography session on docile bulls
- Traditional fishing
- Visit of archaeological sites
- Tours on cart pulled by oxes
- Tour on the Dry Forest Track
For more information, visit the following webpage: http://www.turismoruralometepe.com/.