Mountain Communities
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Mountain Communities
by stephenacs » Sat Jun 05, 2010 10:47 am
Does anyone has information on the mountain communities in Nicaragua?
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Re: Mountain Communities
by SolLifestyles » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:33 pm
The department of Matagalpa is located in the northern region of the country. This mountainous area offers superb scenery and the forested slopes of the many hills and mountains provide great possibilities for hiking and other nature-related activities. Matagalpa is also famous for its coffee production and it is an excellent place to learn more about how coffee is grown, harvested, and processed.
Matagalpa is built on a hilly terrain that is surrounded by mountains. The city itself is located at an elevation of around 700 meters and the climate is significantly different from the hot, tropical climate at the Pacific lowlands. Although it can also get quite hot during the dry season, Matagalpa generally enjoys lower temperatures than cities like Managua or León, and it also rains more in this region. The vegetation is consequently also different, and the area is generally very green.
With around 110,000 residents Matagalpa is a fairly large city in Nicaragua, and there are plenty hotels and restaurants in different price ranges. Although many interesting activities can be found outside the urban area, there are also several attractions within the city limits. Several small parks – often set in front of a church or cathedral – are a great place to hang out just like the Matagalpinos (inhabitants of Matagalpa) like to do, enjoying the tranquil setting and some typical Nicaraguan food, sold by street vendors around the parks. The Central Park and the Darío Park are the two most interesting sites.
Being Nicaragua’s coffee-capital, a visit to the coffee museum in Matagalpa is definitely a must. Although it is a small museum, it does offer some interesting information about the coffee production. There are photos and old tools on display, and other objects including pre-Columbian ceramics and old pictures of Matagalpa are also exhibited. More about the coffee museum can be found in our Activity Guide. There is also a museum of the founder of the Sandinista movement, Carlos Fonseca, who was born in Matagalpa.
The city is surrounded by green mountains and one of the most prominent peaks is the Cerro Buena Vista, reaching a height of 1,442 meters above sea level. The mountain chain is called Apente, and it is a protected natural reserve. The lush vegetation makes it a great place for hiking. One particular peak, called the Apente Hill (Cerro Apente) has well-prepared trails that lead to the top, and along the way visitors can see small mammals, butterflies, and other animals, as well as water streams and even waterfalls. A viewpoint is located at the summit, providing a superb view of the city of Matagalpa and its surroundings. More about hiking activities at the Apante Hill can be found in our Activity Guide.
Recently, the tourism sector has started to promote the coffee-route in the department of Matagalpa. This project focuses at promoting coffee farm visits, which allows tourists to learn more about the complete process that brings the coffee bean from the plantation to the final customer. The different stages in this process include growing, harvesting, defruiting, drying, roasting, and grinding, and at many coffee farms most of these steps can be observed first-hand.
Coffee is best grown in the shade and at higher elevations. Most of the coffee farms are therefore located at a height of 700-1200 meters where the temperature ranges between 16°C and 20°C. These farms – called fincas in Spanish – are often situated on forested mountain slopes and in addition to visits to the farm itself they also offer hikes through the forest. Furthermore, several coffee farms have some sort of lodging available, varying from a room in a farmer's house or a simple cabin to comfortable mountain chalets. The forests surrounding the estates are often inhabited by many birds like toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, and hundreds of other species. Lizards, frogs, squirrels, agouties, and many other spectacular animals can also be found in these forests, making a stay at a coffee farm a great option for people interesting in nature.
More and more producers in the zone are adopting organic production methods. Collection of rainwater for irrigation, creating compost for natural fertilization, and the absence of pesticides all help to create organic coffee. Some farms even have their own solar panels to supply energy. Owners of these organic coffee farms offer tours to learn more about their special production processes.
Most of the coffee estates are located north or northeast of Matagalpa, somewhere between 10 to 40 kilometers from the city. Some of the farms that form part of the Coffee Route include Finca Esperanza Verde, Selva Negra, Shamballáh, La Leonesa, San Antonio, El Matasano, and Las Delicias. To learn more about the coffee production, the period between November and February is the best time to visit the region. Exploring the natural beauty of the area can be done year-round.
A special route is set up in the area of San Ramón. Five small coffee cooperatives are involved in this route, called 'the right coffee route' (ruta justa de café). These cooperatives are all member of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (UCA San Ramón/CECOCAFEN), who sell organic and specialty coffee on the fair trade market around the world. These cooperatives are located in four rural communities, and rural community-based tourism possibilities are available in all four communities: La Pita, La Corona, La Reina, and El Roblar.
It is not without a reason that the majority of the coffee farms are surrounded by beautiful nature: most of them are situated around the El Arenal Natural Reserve. This area is located north of Matagalpa, next to the road to Jinotega, and it encompasses a surface of 575 hectares, featuring beautiful forested mountains and diverse wildlife.
El Arenal is not a strictly enclosed, fenced reserve. Instead, it is a large area that the government designated as natural reserve, still permitting small settlements and farmers to stay in the region. However, by protecting the forest the government ensured that beautiful, centennial trees were not cut down and the area’s rich biodiversity was kept intact.
The reserve has no general hiking trails and there is no ‘main entrance’. In order to access the El Arenal Natural Reserve, visitors can go to one of the farms or hotels that are situated on the edge or within the area of the reserve. From here, trails lead to the beautiful forests where spectacular flora and fauna can be observed. The views are also superb in this mountainous region.
Most of the hotels and farms that are located along the road between Matagalpa and Jinotega (Carretera Matagalpa-Jinotega) offer access to El Arenal... http://www.vianica.com/visit/matagalpa
Matagalpa is built on a hilly terrain that is surrounded by mountains. The city itself is located at an elevation of around 700 meters and the climate is significantly different from the hot, tropical climate at the Pacific lowlands. Although it can also get quite hot during the dry season, Matagalpa generally enjoys lower temperatures than cities like Managua or León, and it also rains more in this region. The vegetation is consequently also different, and the area is generally very green.
With around 110,000 residents Matagalpa is a fairly large city in Nicaragua, and there are plenty hotels and restaurants in different price ranges. Although many interesting activities can be found outside the urban area, there are also several attractions within the city limits. Several small parks – often set in front of a church or cathedral – are a great place to hang out just like the Matagalpinos (inhabitants of Matagalpa) like to do, enjoying the tranquil setting and some typical Nicaraguan food, sold by street vendors around the parks. The Central Park and the Darío Park are the two most interesting sites.
Being Nicaragua’s coffee-capital, a visit to the coffee museum in Matagalpa is definitely a must. Although it is a small museum, it does offer some interesting information about the coffee production. There are photos and old tools on display, and other objects including pre-Columbian ceramics and old pictures of Matagalpa are also exhibited. More about the coffee museum can be found in our Activity Guide. There is also a museum of the founder of the Sandinista movement, Carlos Fonseca, who was born in Matagalpa.
The city is surrounded by green mountains and one of the most prominent peaks is the Cerro Buena Vista, reaching a height of 1,442 meters above sea level. The mountain chain is called Apente, and it is a protected natural reserve. The lush vegetation makes it a great place for hiking. One particular peak, called the Apente Hill (Cerro Apente) has well-prepared trails that lead to the top, and along the way visitors can see small mammals, butterflies, and other animals, as well as water streams and even waterfalls. A viewpoint is located at the summit, providing a superb view of the city of Matagalpa and its surroundings. More about hiking activities at the Apante Hill can be found in our Activity Guide.
Recently, the tourism sector has started to promote the coffee-route in the department of Matagalpa. This project focuses at promoting coffee farm visits, which allows tourists to learn more about the complete process that brings the coffee bean from the plantation to the final customer. The different stages in this process include growing, harvesting, defruiting, drying, roasting, and grinding, and at many coffee farms most of these steps can be observed first-hand.
Coffee is best grown in the shade and at higher elevations. Most of the coffee farms are therefore located at a height of 700-1200 meters where the temperature ranges between 16°C and 20°C. These farms – called fincas in Spanish – are often situated on forested mountain slopes and in addition to visits to the farm itself they also offer hikes through the forest. Furthermore, several coffee farms have some sort of lodging available, varying from a room in a farmer's house or a simple cabin to comfortable mountain chalets. The forests surrounding the estates are often inhabited by many birds like toucans, woodpeckers, trogons, and hundreds of other species. Lizards, frogs, squirrels, agouties, and many other spectacular animals can also be found in these forests, making a stay at a coffee farm a great option for people interesting in nature.
More and more producers in the zone are adopting organic production methods. Collection of rainwater for irrigation, creating compost for natural fertilization, and the absence of pesticides all help to create organic coffee. Some farms even have their own solar panels to supply energy. Owners of these organic coffee farms offer tours to learn more about their special production processes.
Most of the coffee estates are located north or northeast of Matagalpa, somewhere between 10 to 40 kilometers from the city. Some of the farms that form part of the Coffee Route include Finca Esperanza Verde, Selva Negra, Shamballáh, La Leonesa, San Antonio, El Matasano, and Las Delicias. To learn more about the coffee production, the period between November and February is the best time to visit the region. Exploring the natural beauty of the area can be done year-round.
A special route is set up in the area of San Ramón. Five small coffee cooperatives are involved in this route, called 'the right coffee route' (ruta justa de café). These cooperatives are all member of the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (UCA San Ramón/CECOCAFEN), who sell organic and specialty coffee on the fair trade market around the world. These cooperatives are located in four rural communities, and rural community-based tourism possibilities are available in all four communities: La Pita, La Corona, La Reina, and El Roblar.
It is not without a reason that the majority of the coffee farms are surrounded by beautiful nature: most of them are situated around the El Arenal Natural Reserve. This area is located north of Matagalpa, next to the road to Jinotega, and it encompasses a surface of 575 hectares, featuring beautiful forested mountains and diverse wildlife.
El Arenal is not a strictly enclosed, fenced reserve. Instead, it is a large area that the government designated as natural reserve, still permitting small settlements and farmers to stay in the region. However, by protecting the forest the government ensured that beautiful, centennial trees were not cut down and the area’s rich biodiversity was kept intact.
The reserve has no general hiking trails and there is no ‘main entrance’. In order to access the El Arenal Natural Reserve, visitors can go to one of the farms or hotels that are situated on the edge or within the area of the reserve. From here, trails lead to the beautiful forests where spectacular flora and fauna can be observed. The views are also superb in this mountainous region.
Most of the hotels and farms that are located along the road between Matagalpa and Jinotega (Carretera Matagalpa-Jinotega) offer access to El Arenal... http://www.vianica.com/visit/matagalpa
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