This ecotour is now over.
ITINERARY (Subject to change):
Day 1: Arrive to Managua and receive a warm welcome from the San Ramón staff who will be waiting to take you directly to San Ramón. You will pass through the town and head up to the mountains to Finca Esperanza Verde, the award-winning eco-lodge and coffee farm founded by SCSRN. Meet the new owners and all-local staff and learn their stories. Enjoy your first Nica dinner and settle into your cabin after a long day of traveling. (To learn more about FEV, visit www.fincaesperanzaverde.org).
Day 2: Wake up refreshed the next day in a beautiful tropical paradise. After breakfast in FEV’s open-air dining area with a spectacular view of the northern mountain range of Nicaragua, take a tour of the organic coffee farm to learn the first steps of getting the coffee from the plant to your cup. In the afternoon, learn from a professional coffee taster (called a “cupper”) how to discern different flavors in coffee. During your afternoon cooking class, you’ll learn traditional forms of food preparation, including how coffee is traditionally roasted.
Day 3: Take a birdwatching tour with specialized guides to view the exotic birds of Nicaragua, as well as sloths and monkeys. Take hikes along lush tropical trails at your leisure to enjoy the natural beauty of the cloud forest. Tour the organic garden where much of the food that you enjoy is produced. Visit the butterfly hatchery and learn about the conservation efforts to protect Nicaragua’s native species.
Day 4: In the morning, you’ll get a glimpse into the lives of the surrounding communities when you visit a local elementary school to interact with children doing crafts and playing games. In the afternoon, continue to enjoy the natural beauty around you on your last day in FEV. Go swimming in the waters of a natural spring, and then relax in the evening around a bonfire listening to the serenade of local musicians.
Day 5: Say goodbye to your FEV friends, and head for the town of San Ramón. Meet SCSRN’s friendly staff, get some cultural orientation, and then be welcomed into the home of your host family. Receive a tour of this small town from local guides and learn about a day in the life of a local. In the evening, visit the local library, where you’ll enjoy a dance performance by a local children’s group and learn about how SCSRN supports education efforts.
Day 6: In the morning, attend a crafts fair where you can see all of the beautiful handiwork of local artisans. Throughout the day, you’ll visit the homes of many of these artisans – indigenous weavers, handmade jewelry-makers, and stationary makers to use recycled paper. Learn how they make their crafts and the important role they have in the local economy. End the day with a cooking lesson, to learn how to prepare traditional Nicaraguan “nacatamales,” followed by a delicious dinner accompanied by live music.
Day 7: Enjoy a leisurely morning with your host family, learning about what home life is like for a typical Nicaraguan family. On your last day in town, choose from a number of optional activities: a visit Los Pipitos (a center for children with disabilities that does miraculous work), hike up to a rural community for more bird-watching and swimming, or enjoy a Q & A session with a local historian to learn more about Nicaragua’s turbulent past. In the evening, enjoy a night of music and dancing in the park.
Day 8: Have your last breakfast with your host family, and say farewell to your new friends in San Ramon. We’ll be waiting for your return!
(The cost of this trip is $1,400, and includes all in-country transportation, lodging, meals, and scheduled activities. It does NOT include airfare to and from Nicaragua.)