Nicaragua Off the Beaten track

Day 1 - Arrival Managua - Transfer to Granada
You will arrive at the airport of the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. You will be picked up from the airport given a transfer to the nearby colonial city of Granada.

Day 2 - Granada - Leon
Today we leave Granada where we return at the end of the tour.  We visit Masaya National Park with the volcano of the same name. We ride our bikes right to the edge of the crater of this active volcano, which the Spaniards call ‘The gate of hell’. We take a shortcut  on little backroads to Mateare. Despite the fact that we are close to Managua we are removed from all the hustle and bustle of the big city.  We leave the mountain ridge behind and make our way down to the quiet sandy roads where we pass heavily laden ox carts and peaceful villages.
Back on asphalt we get a great view of the Momotombo volcano on lake Xolotlán. From the village of La Paz Centro we again take a short cut. We arrive at Léon, a beautiful city, and the cultural, religious, and intellectual heart of Nicaragua.

Day 3 - León - stay (daytour)
From Léon you get the opportunity to take a round trip tour along a range of volcanoes.  A visit to the volcano Cerro Negro is definitely recommended. The view from the top is magnificent and a boogie board takes you down again, at speed. You can also take a ride to Chichigalpa, home of the world acclaimed rum. A boat trip through Isla Juan Venado Nature Reserve takes you past mangrove forests and its many animals, and past the beach, home to an important breeding ground for sea turtles who come to lay their eggs here between the months of July and February.

Day 4 - León - Estelí
A large part of today’s ride is unpaved. We go past the volcano range via a flat sandy route. We continue our route northwards where the landscape in the meantime is already hilly. You very rarely come across motorised traffic here. We wade through the river where both man and beast come to cool down. Whilst lunching in El Sauce we can enjoy some Gallo Pinto, the national dish of rice and beans. A breath-taking route over a good unpaved road takes us to Estelí, famous for its tobacco production and good cigars.

Day 5 - Estelí - Somoto
We continue our route over pretty country roads towards the sweet but dusty town of San Juan de Limay, which is famous for its soapstone sculptures. Soapstone (marmolina) is a hard stone found in the mountains around Cerro Tipiscayán. There are also cave paintings in the vicinity. We visit one of the oldest rock formations in Middle America, the amazing Somoto Canyon. This is the source of the longest river of Central America, the river Coco, (or Wangki).

Day 6  - Somoto - La Dalia
Today we carry on pioneering through the mountains in the north.  We ride the first part through this magnificent mountain area on an good, paved road to Telpaneca and San Juan del Rio Coco.  We cross the river Rio Coco and follow our adventure route down south. Our destination today is la Dalia where we stay in an Ecolodge.

Day 7 - La Dalia - Matagalpa
We leave La Dalia and drive a scenic road to Matagalpa. On the way we can visit a waterfall. We are surrounded by cloud forests and the average temperature here is only 20 degrees and it rains 2600 mm annually, so take fleece and rain gear. Our accommodation is in the middle of a nature reserve El Arenal in the Matagalpa region. If you want you can do guided hikes with the German owner. He can also explain the coffee cultivation and processing.

Day 8 - Matagalpa ‍- stay (daytour)
Take a trip exploring Matagalpa’s beautiful surroundings. We have a trip around lake Apanás for those who fancy it, but of course there are alternative routes for instance to Penas Blancas, part of the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve. Today you can also  leave your motorcycle where it is and go for a walk, have a go at horseback riding nearby, or pay a visit to Matagalpa village and the coffee museum.

Day 9 - Matagalpa - Juigalpa
We leave the cloud forests and coffee plantations and arrive in an area with rodeos and cowboys. The route winds its way over small paved and unpaved roads. We visit a colourful local market on the way. Our goal today is the authentic Juigalpa. This small town sits on a high plateau overlooking the valley intersected by an river.

Day 10 - Juigalpa – San Jorge
We leave the green hills behind us and drive into the hot flat land. We are on the way through open fields on dirtroads and cross the Rio Tipitapa by ferry. We continue along Lago Nicaragua to Granada and pass the north side of the volcano Mombacho. Since the soil here is very fertile, there is a variety of agricultural crops. We stay overnight at San Jorge on Lago Nicaragua where you get the best views of the island Ometepe.

Day 11 San Jorge - Ometepe
Early morning we take the ferry to the island of Ometepe on Lago Nicaragua. Ometepe is formed by two vulcanoes, the Concepción and the Maderas. Looking back on a rich pre-Columbian history, Ometepe is well known for its petroglyphs. In 2010 the island was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Day 12 - Ometepe - stay (daytour)
The beautiful and laid-back island of Ometepe offers numerous opportunities for activities. Depending on the weather, you can rent a kayak and paddle to different islands or a river delta, or you can opt for cycling, hiking, kitesurfing or horseback riding. But of course you can always take your steel horse on an adventurous ride around the volcanos. You also have the option of doing absolutely nothing and laze on the beach.

Day 13 - Ometepe - San Juan del Sur
We take the ferry to the mainland and continue to the south, near the Costa Rican border we take a turn and drive on a little used gravel road towards the Pacific. We explore the deserted beaches beaches south of San Juan del Sur and pass through small, quiet fishing villages where life is still very natural relaxed. In this area there are two important breeding grounds for sea. In the evening you can enjoy the famous sun set on the beach, possibly with some fresh seafood and a cold beer.

Day 14 - San Juan del Sur ‍- stay (daytour)
Today we have plenty of time to explore more beaches on small dirtroads, for example Playa Maderas. These beaches are world famous for their good surfing, yet it is quiet here. If you want to leave the bike for a day, you can surf, sail, dive, fish or enjoy the view on a canopty tour.

Day 15 - San Juan del Sur - Granada
We drive to the viewpoint at the huge statue of Christ for a last look over the bay of San Juan del Sur before we leave the coast behind us and ride towards Granada. On the way we visit Catarina, one of the pueblos blancos. Here we visist another viewpoint and have a look over the volcanic lake Laguna de Apoyo, Granada and even Ometepe. We continue over smallt paths along the lake before we reach Granada where we hand over the motorcycles.. Granada was founded in 1524 and to this day is a jewel of colonial-era architecture. Countless examples of these restored colonial buildings can be found, including magnificent houses, churches and cathedrals. It’s lovely to while away the time on the central plaza and this is also your last opportunity to buy those souvenirs.

Day 16 - Departure
Today we will bring you to the airport for your flight back home.

Day 17 - Arrival home

Route and overnight places may change due to unforeseen events.