Nicaragua’s impressive biodiversity is best represented by its plant and tree life. At the crossroads of South and North America, Nicaragua has a rich flora that often goes almost unnoticed for most visitors to Nicaragua. It is just a pleasant green mass for tourists, a habitat for animals on their lists. Most Nicaraguan naturalist guides know their birds pretty well and can hold their own with mammals and reptiles. However, the intense diversity of Nicaragua’s flora is a tough challenge for even Tours Nicaragua’s biologist naturalist guides. That is why we have invited Indiana Coronado, Nicaragua’s finest native botanist, trained at Nicaragua’s UNAN in León and with a Masters Degree from the University of Missouri, to lead a select number of Botany Tours in Nicaragua. Visits to the private nature reserves of Montibelli and Lost Canyon reveal the highly specialized plants and trees of the world’s most endangered tropical ecosystem, tropical dry forest. Exploration of the coastal Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge uncovers the secrets of the mangrove forest and countless flowering plants of these wetlands, while visits to Selva Negra and Mombacho Volcano Cloud Forests afford a unique view on mist powered flora, endemic orchids and uniquely adapted plants. Nicaragua Botany is a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore tropical flora diversity with a highly qualified local expert.
Botany in Nicaragua – Flora of Nicaragua Itinerary
- Day 01: Managua
- Airport greeting and transfer to Hotel Las Mercedes in Managua for lodging.
- Day 02: Managua – Selva Negra Cloud Forest Reserve
- Breakfast and morning meeting with botanist guide for private transfer up into the northern highlands and the private cloud forest reserve and organic shade coffee farm of Selva Negra. Afternoon hike in the nature reserve with our botanist.
- Day 03: Selva Negra – Lost Canyon Nature Reserve – Leon
- Breakfast and morning flora hike with our botanist. Private transfer down through the mountains to the Pacific plains and the colonial city of León for lodging at Hotel El Convento. Visit to the tropical dry forest of the private Lost Canyon Nature Reserve for a nature walk in route.
- Day 04: Leon – Isla Juan Venado Wildlife Refuge
- Breakfast and high tide visit with botanist to the coastal Pacific estuary of Juan Venado for examination of this mangrove forest and wetlands ecosystem and its flora. Visit to the UNAN University botanical garden. Lodging at Hotel El Convento.
- Day 05: Leon – Montibelli Nature Reserve
- Breakfast and private transfer with botanist to the Sierra Managua mountains and the private nature reserve of Montibelli. Guided hiking in the reserve. Lunch, dinner and lodging in cabin.
- Day 06: Montibelli – Mombacho Cloud Forest Reserve
- Breakfast and private transfer with botanist to the Mombacho Volcano and the precious cloud forest reserve on its summit. Flora hiking with your guide. Lodging in nearby Granada at the Hotel Plaza Colón.
- Day 07: Granada – Managua
- Breakfast at hotel and private transfer to airport for flight home.
- 1 night lodging at Hotel Las Mercedes in Managua
- 1 night lodging at the Selva Negra Mountain Resort
- 2 nights lodging at the Hotel El Convento in León
- 1 night lodging at the Montibelli Private Nature Reserve
- 1 night lodging at the Hotel Plaza Colón in Granada
- All breakfasts
- All meals in Montibelli
- All land transportation in private vehicle with a/c and professional driver
- All driver expenses
- Visits to nature parks: Selva Negra, Lost Canyon, Juan Venado, Montibelli, Mombacho
- Admissions to nature parks
- Assistance of an English speaking botanist guide
- All botanist guide expenses
- 17% hotel taxes
Rates & Booking Details
- All Nicaragua botany tours are private.
- Botany tours in Nicaragua can begin any day of the year providing hotel space is available.
- Botany tour costs depend on the number of travelers in your party and visit dates.
- Please specify number of people and target dates when requesting a quote.
- Custom botany tour itineraries are available upon request.
Flora of Nicaragua Tour does not Include
- Drinks.
- Lunch or dinners when not at Montibelli.
- Guide on final transfer day.
- International flights or international airport taxes.
- Travel insurance, tips or medical treatment.
