This vacation begins in the capital city before setting out to discover why Nicaragua is the ideal destination for high-adventure travelers seeking truly unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences. For example, you will cycle through coffee landscapes, plantations, and villages; visit community tourism projects that produce everything from Swiss-style cheese to medicinal plants; meet an artist who carves rock into a mountainside; and enjoy activities such as hiking, swimming, and cliff jumping in the Somoto Canyon. This high-adrenaline adventure then transitions (so to speak) into a more relaxed pace in Granada, with activities such as mountain biking and kayaking on Lake Nicaragua.
Day 1: Welcome to Managua
A Careli Tours representative will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Rest for the remainder of the day and overnight.
• Accommodation: Hotel Los Robles (Breakfast included)
Day 2: Selva Negra
After breakfast, depart for Selva Negra, one of Nicaragua’s most famous coffee estates, dedicated to sustainable agriculture. The estate covers 1,500 hectares and includes a mountain hotel. We will ascend to 3,900 feet (1,200 m), and then you will hop on your bicycle to continue climbing toward El Arenal at 4,700 feet (1,440 m), where your adventure begins.
Within El Arenal National Reserve, you will ride through coffee plantations, fern fields, and picturesque villages, all within the biodiversity of cloud forests. Your guide will explain coffee cultivation as well as local traditions and daily life in this natural paradise.
The route is of moderate difficulty and requires good physical condition, lasting approximately 5 to 6 hours. A picnic lunch will be provided.
Accommodation: Selva Negra Hotel (Breakfast and lunch included)
Day 3: Selva Negra
This morning offers a great opportunity to tour the coffee farms, learning firsthand about coffee cultivation while observing nature with a specialized guide. Selva Negra is recognized as a pioneer in sustainable agriculture, and during your truck tour, you will learn about its organic innovations, worker housing, greenhouses, cheese and ham production, poultry farms, and stables.
You will also enjoy these homemade culinary delights at the estate’s restaurant. After lunch, take part in a coffee tour to learn about harvesting, weighing, washing, and drying processes, followed by a visit to the coffee museum and a tasting session.
(Note: Selva Negra coffee is sold in the U.S. at Whole Foods.)
In the afternoon, enjoy a hike through mountain trails, where you may spot birds and howler monkeys in the trees.
Accommodation: Selva Negra Hotel (Breakfast and lunch included)
Day 4: Estelí
After breakfast and check-out, head to El Tisey Natural Reserve, the southernmost location in the Western Hemisphere where pine forests can be found, combined with moss-covered trees hosting hundreds of orchid species.
Here, you will visit inspiring rural communities such as La Garnacha, a successful example of community tourism and cooperative development. Founded in the 1980s by families displaced by war, the community now produces Swiss-style cheese, organic coffee, fertilizers, vegetables, and medicinal plants.
You will also visit soapstone artisans, observing young locals carving stone and wood. Then visit a natural medicine clinic using local herbs.
Next, visit Don Alberto Gutiérrez, who has carved hundreds of figures into a mountainside, including jaguars, snakes, religious scenes, and historical figures—an inspiring artistic achievement.
After a traditional community lunch, continue to Estelí, the capital of Nicaraguan tobacco. Visit a cigar factory to learn about the production of world-famous cigars, from curing leaves to rolling techniques.
Accommodation: Hotel Hex Estelí (Breakfast and lunch included)
Day 5: Somoto Canyon
Travel north to Somoto Canyon, near the Honduran border. This will be a day of hiking, swimming, and cliff jumping depending on your level of adventure.
Formed millions of years ago by tectonic activity and river erosion, the canyon stretches 2.9 miles (4.7 km) and was declared a Natural Reserve in 2006.
Three tour options are available:
Short Tour (2.5 hours): Easy hike and optional tubing through scenic canyon walls.
Medium Tour (3.5 hours): Includes hiking, swimming 2.5 km, and a mandatory cliff jump.
Long Tour (5 hours): Full canyon exploration with hiking, swimming, and community visit.
Equipment such as life jackets, dry bags, water, and snacks are included.
Accommodation: Hotel Ocotal (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included)
Optional: Camping experience with full equipment provided.
Day 6: Granada
After breakfast, travel to Granada, founded in 1524 and one of the oldest Spanish settlements in the Americas. After arrival, explore the city including the central park, La Merced Church, San Francisco Convent Museum, La Pólvora Fortress, and the municipal market.
Accommodation: Hotel Patio del Malinche (Breakfast included)
Day 7: Granada – Biking & Kayaking
In the morning, a local guide will provide bicycles and safety gear for a ride to El Rayo port (6 miles / 10 km) on the Asese Peninsula, extending into Lake Nicaragua. The area’s volcanic terrain offers excellent biking and opportunities to observe wildlife.
At El Rayo, switch to double kayaks to explore the 365 islets of Granada, visit local fishermen, observe birds, and optionally swim in the lake.
Afternoon at leisure.
Accommodation: Hotel Patio del Malinche (Breakfast included)
Day 8: Managua – Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Managua International Airport for your return flight.
