Tobacco, Tortillas & Trails

Itinerary

Itinerary:
Granada - Leon - Esteli - Jinotega - Matagalpa - San Ramon - Ometepe - Managua
Duration:
16 days / 15 nights (flexible)
Price:
From £ 2,975.- per person (excluding flights)

Get ready to discover Nicaragua’s northern bounty. Bursting with coffee, tobacco and butterflies, it’s a lush, intriguing place just begging to be explored. After walking the colonial streets of Granada and Leon you’ll journey through the tobacco fields, wander along hiking trails in the rainforest and sip copious amounts of coffee. Learn the art of tortilla making with a local family and top it all off with a bit of rest and relaxation on peaceful Ometepe Island. You’ve earned that tropical cocktail!

Days 1-3 – Glory days of Granada

The oldest city in the New World, Granada is striking with its colourful colonial buildings and diverse culture. Upon arrival in Managua you’ll be transferred directly to your hotel in Granada, a journey of about an hour. You’ll stay in a comfortable colonial-style hotel with its own swimming pool and go on a walk with a local guide through the city.

Days 3-5 – The colonial charm of Léon

You’ll travel from Granada to Leon by private car, which takes roughly 3.5 hours. Leon has a rich colonial history with 12 cathedrals and churches. During your stay you’ll take a unique half day tour learning to create traditional Nicaraguan art. Watch a local artist demonstrate the age-old techniques of creating typical Nicaraguan handicrafts; then try them out yourself. You’ll stay in a hotel that once served as a monastery located right in the centre.

Days 5-7 – Take in the tobacco hills

We’ll arrange a private transfer to take you into the tobacco hills of Esteli, a journey of about 2.5 hours. You won’t find many tourists in Esteli, mostly just local people going about their daily lives. You’ll visit one of the tobacco plantations and a local cigar factory. It’s particularly interesting to see how the cigars are rolled; pay attention because next it’s your turn! You’ll stay in a small-scale hotel in the centre of Esteli, which donates all its profits to social projects in and around the town.

Days 7-9 – Hiking trails and quetzal tails

You’ll travel to the Cerro Datanli-El Diablo Nature Reserve near Jinotega by private car, a journey that will take about 90 minutes. Surround yourself with deep gorges, mountain ridges and cloud forests in Nicaragua’s wild north. Take a walking trail through the lush vegetation with a local guide in one of the best reserves for spotting the resplendent quetzal bird. You’ll stay in an eco-friendly lodge situated amongst the coffee estates. From the wooden terrace you can see birds and butterflies fluttering amongst the vibrant flowers.

Days 9-11 – Wake up and smell the coffee!

Next, we’ll arrange a private transfer to take you to Matagalpa, famous for its coffee. Your travel time today is about 45 minutes. If there is one thing that Nicaragua is famous for, it has to be coffee. You’ll head out to the coffee plantations of the Matagalpa region where your guide will explain the entire process, from harvesting, washing, drying, toasting and grinding of the beans. You’ll stay in a mountain-view hotel in the Cerro Arenal Nature Reserve, so you can enjoy the sound of the forest alongside your morning coffee.

Days 11-13 – At home with the Nicos

A private transfer will pick you up from your hotel and take you to your homestay in the San Ramon community, roughly a 1 hour drive away. The local people in San Ramon have set up a successful community project where local families open their homes to tourists. You’ll immerse yourself in the culture of a local family by staying in their home and try your hand at some home cooked Nicaraguan food. In this small village you’re unlikely to meet many other tourists. It might also be the perfect time to brush up on a little Spanish!

Days 13-15 – Discover Ometepe Island

Next, you’ll travel by private car to Granada, roughly a 3 hour drive, where you’ll spend the night in the same hotel as the start of your trip. The next day you’ll be transferred to the Ferry Port in San Jorge, which takes about 2 hours to drive. You’ll then catch the ferry over to Ometepe Island, the crossing normally takes an hour. You’ll be met on the other side and transferred to your hotel, which usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

Ometepe Island lies in the second largest freshwater lake in Latin America. There’s nothing planned for you during your stay so you can decide how to spend your time. Relax on the beach, try some hiking up one of the volcanoes, or jump on a bike and discover the island. You’ll stay in the centre of Ometepe between the two volcanoes. From your hammock, you can enjoy the sounds of wind, water and birds.

Days 15-16 – The mighty volcano

A transfer will take you to the port where you’ll catch the ferry back to the mainland. From here we’ll arrange for a private transfer to take you to Managua, a journey of roughly 2.5 hours. Managua may not be the prettiest of cities, but it’s worth stopping a while to appreciate the fading colonial buildings and take in the impressive site of Masaya Volcano. Along the way try to catch a glimpse of the green Parakeets and bats before peering into the crater mouth.

Sadly all good things must come to an end. We’ll arrange a private transfer to take you to Managua airport, ready for your international flight back to the UK.