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Touristic Route in San Cristóbal Volcano Natural Reserve

Clementine Haudecoeur | Nov 30, 2015

View of the San Cristóbal Volcano. | Photographer: Jonathan Moreno Nuñez

Rural touristic activities available at the foot of San Cristóbal Volcano in Chinandega.

Chinandega is a department with a lot of commercial activity for its proximity with the neighboring countries but also has a lot of natural beauty. One of its main attraction is the San Cristóbal, the highest volcano of Nicaragua.

In order to impulse sustainable touristic activity in the area of the foot of the volcano, the Movement África 70 in coordination with the Nicaraguan National Chamber of Tourism (CANATUR) designed several touristic routes in San Cristóbal Volcano Natural Reserve, mixing natural and cultural attractions in the communities of San Isidro, Belén, La Mora and La Bolsa.
The objective of this kind of sustainable rural tourism is to participate in the socio-economic development of most vulnerable communities, getting close to the daily way of life of the population and sharing authentic moments with extremely generous people.

The routes were designed with a system of integrated tracks, which means connecting farms, natural and cultural attractions to housing and food services as well as local guides in every area.

Below you will find a descriptive list of the 6 existing packages. They were all planned to last 2 days and one night and are suitable for groups from 2 to 8 persons.

Finca Las Rojas

Package 1: Walking on the tracks of San Cristóbal Volcano

This circuit allows you to enjoy fauna and flora of the San Cristóbal Natural Reserve, walk along the tracks of El Destiladero and El Café, visit the museum of coffee and spend the night at Finca Las Rojas, first place to cultivate coffee in Nicaragua.

Package 2: Secrets from the fields…at the foot of the volcano

This package will allow you to know life in the countryside. It offers a tour of agro tourism at Finca Agroforestal Las Banderas from the Association Fuente Verde in order to observe the different crops (corn, sesame, beans, rice, banana, yucca, between others). It also counts with a promenade on a cart with oxen to see the traditional elaboration process of tortillas and cuajadas (cheese), and also goes by a leather-goods workshop and the Country Market to see handicrafts made by a group of women form the community.

Finca Las Banderas

Package 3: Meeting the high forest…with the Association Fuente Verde

This route will allow you to learn more about the environmental work implemented by the Association Fuente Verde and enjoy walking down El Café’s track, looking at what nature has to offer in this area.

Package 4: Doing agro tourism in the barn of Nicaragua

This package will allow you to better understand the life of the famers from the area. It will take you on a tour to see the different crops of Franbelin Hostel (like pineapple, orange or bananas), and participate in the milking process in New Orleans farm. It also counts with a promenade on a cart with oxen to see the traditional elaboration process of tortillas, cuajadas (type of cheese) and bred, and also goes by a leather-goods workshop and the Country Market to see handicrafts made by a group of women form the community.

Package 5: Climbing up the highest volcano of Nicaragua

This route is for the most adventurers. It offers a visit to Finca Las Rojas, first place to cultivate coffee in Nicaragua, climb up the volcano through El Destiladero track, and for the most courageous, go up to the top of the San Cristóbal (1,745m). It also counts with a walk through the Bosque de Galería track, which leads to the viewpoint of El Chonco volcano.

Package 6: The fresh lung of Chinandega

This last package is to enjoy the different communities located on the skirt of the volcano. It offers bicycle tour, horse riding, cart promenade and relaxing moments in the recreational centers of Mi Montañita, Puesta del Sol, or Vulcano.

It is important to mention that this initiative was part of the Colonial and Volcanoes Route project, financed by the European Union and the Government of Nicaragua, executed by the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (INTUR), with technical support from the Cooperation Agency of Luxembourg.

For more information on the project, visit the following webpage.