Thinking about a trip or traveling to Central America?

We recommend visiting Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Ecotourism, Agro tourism, Culture & History

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If you are thinking about traveling to the tropics, we invite you to take a closer look at Central America and specifically the southern part of Central America with Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. We operate two wilderness lodges in this area: One is called Lapa Rios Ecolodge located near Puerto Jimenez and Corcovado National Park in southern Costa Rica on the Osa Peninsula and the other one is Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge located in southern Nicaragua near Granada and San Juan del Sur. Both are right next to a Pacific beach and set in a tropical rainforest (Lapa Rios) and dry forest setting (Morgan’s Rock).

When we get asked about what to do and where to go, it is hard to give a short answer. There is so much to do and so many places to visit. Caribbean and Pacific sand beaches, pristine rainforests, exciting nature hikes, restored colonial cities, active volcanoes, hot springs and river rafting are just a few of the attractions that tourists traveling to Central America can enjoy. Visits to these places or most of those activities can be arranged by our reservations staff that would also be happy to help you with tourism and travel tips.

The climate in Nicaragua and Costa Rica is pleasant year round and ideal for the visitor looking for sun, beach and relaxation as well as the more active traveler looking for adventure activities such as rainforest hiking, horseback riding, ocean kayaking, canopy tours, waterfall rappelling, white water rafting, snorkeling, scuba diving or catch and release sport fishing.

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We often get asked about where to stay and tips or recommendations for finding hotels, resorts or lodges. This is very dependent upon the tourist’s taste and budget, but in general we recommend ecolodges, eco resorts, rainforest lodges or wilderness retreats over Caribbean style resorts or luxury hotels that can be found just about anywhere in the world.

The two lodges that we operate both have private nature reserves attached to them that boast a biodiversity very similar to the nearby national parks. A variety of animals from monkeys to slooths, from sea turtles to dolphins, from dear to jaguars, from butterflies to hummingbirds, from toucans to Macaws, from tapirs to crocodiles can be observed in or around the rainforest and dry forest reserves.

Is it safe to travel to Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama? Yes, Costa Rica has been a favorite tourism destination receiving well over a million travelers per year for almost two decades. Costa Rica has no army and its former president Oscar Arias has won the Noble Peace Prize in the eighties for bringing peace to the Isthmus. Nicaragua is a newer tourism destination and despite its more turbulent past has now a democratically elected government and travel, especially in southern Nicaragua near Granada, Masaya and San Juan del Sur is considered very safe.

How do I get to Costa Rica and Nicaragua? Costa Rica is served by many international airlines such as American, United, Continental, Delta, America West, Iberia, Martinair and Grupo Taca and receives charter flights from Europe, Canada and the US. The new airport in Liberia (45 minutes from the Nicaraguan border) is served by American, Delta and Continental. Our recommendation would be to fly into Costa Rica (San Jose or Liberia), use the domestic airlines Nature Air and Sansa to explore the country and then connect via Nature Air to Granada in Nicaragua and possibly take a flight back to the US on American, Continental or Grupo Taca from the Managua International Airport. Our reservations staff at Lapa Rios or Morgan’s Rock will be glad to assist you in arranging local flights connecting between Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Quick reference to Nicaragua and Costa Rica with tips and recommendation for tourists and travel

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Nicaragua
Nicaragua is Central America’s “best kept secret” and an up and coming tourism destination for visitors from Europe and North America. More and more tourists that visit Costa Rica make an extension to Nicaragua to get a feel for a truly authentic and unique travel experience. Nicaragua is an almost “perfect” place to travel and much better than its image, due to past civil unrests. It is safe to travel and features a modern international airport in Managua as well as a variety of business class hotels in Managua and smaller boutique hotels in Granada and small resorts on the coast. Just recently Nature Air introduced direct flights connecting San Jose and the city of Liberia in northern Costa Rica with the colonial city of Granada in southern Nicaragua, located just 45 minutes from Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge.

Our recommended highlights for a visit to Nicaragua, besides a stay at Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge, include:

Managua and Volcanoes: The capital city of Managua is Nicaragua’s business center and offers plenty of history, entertainment and dining as well as visits to lagunas, Lake Managua and the nearby volcanoes Mombotombo and Masaya.

Masaya Market and Volcano: The Masaya National Park with its active volcano that can be visited by car is located just outside of the town of Masaya which is famous for its artesian markets working wood, leather and especially beautiful hammocks.

Granada & Pueblos Blancos: Granada is the oldest city in continental America. It is located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world. Granada invites you to visit a variety of colonial churches and buildings and to enjoy the flair of a bustling town. The pueblos blancos San Juan del Oriente and Santa Catarina offer great art and souvenir shopping and a stunning view of the Laguna de Apoyo.

Mombacho & Isletas: Just outside of Granada is the Mombacho Volcano featuring the Mombacho Volcano Nature reserve. The Isletas are small islands in Lake Nicaragua that were created by a volcanic explosion and today can be explored by tourists. Activities on and around Mombacho and the Isletas include canopy tours, bird watching, horseback riding, boat excursions and kayaking.

Ometepe Island and Volcanoes: Ometepe Island is the largest island in Lake Nicaragua and is made up by the Concepcion and Maderas volcanoes. It can be visited by boat and overnight stays at small hotels and lodges are available.

San Juan del Sur: San Juan del Sur is one of Nicaragua’s best known beach towns and offers great beaches for swimming, boogie-boarding, surfing, fishing, diving, snorkeling. and sailing. Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and Ecolodge is located only 20 minutes north of San Juan del Sur on a private beach.

Leon: Leon is Nicaragua’s second largest city and former capital. Just like Granada, it is a colonial treasure in terms of architecture and history. Leon is a university city and offers great culture, history and entertainment.

Caribbean Coast: The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is widely unexplored but offers some tourism attractions and activities on the Solentiname Islands and the rio San Juan bordering with Costa Rica. It is also home to some smaller resorts located mostly on Corn Island of the coast.

Activities and things to do: Colonial towns and churches, beaches, rainforest tours, river tours, volcano hiking, surfing, catch and release sport fishing, diving, boat excursions, canopy tours, horseback riding, Spanish lessons.

Travelling to Costa Rica