Nicaraguan Eco-tourism
by Tom Fletcher

Nicaragua's geographic location halfway down Central
America makes it one of the most biologically diverse
areas of the world.. It represents the southernmost
limit of many northern species, including the
southernmost pine forests in the hemisphere. The
country contains the largest rain forests in Central
America providing habitats suitable to many South
American species. In addition to being the crossroads
of North and South, Nicaragua is also divided between
the dry Pacific and wet Atlantic by a series of volcanoes
and mountain ranges. These two divisions (North/South,
Atlantic/Pacific) furnish a wide range of habitat types
in a very small area. These habitats range from savanna
-like plains to dry tropical forest, submontane tropical
forest, rain forest, cloud forest, a variety of aquatic habitats
on both Caribbean and Pacific Coasts, volcanic crater
lakes, and the largest bodies of fresh water in Latin
America. The combination makes the country a diverse
and fascinating destination for nature lovers and
professional biologists alike. All of the biomes offer
rich rewards for those who find wonder and fascination
in the details of nature.

The tourism industry in Nicaragua has long suffered
from Nicaragua's poor reputation brought about by
instability, revolution, and civil war. Even after the
general security situation calmed following the peaceful
transition to democratic rule in 1990, many of the remote
areas that would be of interest to ecotourists remained
dangerous. Today there remain some remote areas,
extremely high in biodiversity, that are still dangerous.
However, most of Nicaragua is now quite safe. The
problem is a lingering negative perception of the
country, especially in the prime ecotourism markets
of North America. This presents a serious obstacle
to the establishment of broad-based ecotourism.

Another problem that continues to cripple tourism
development, and by extension, ecotourism, is the
critical lack of developed tourism infrastructure
outside of Managua and a very few places along
the Pacific coast. Even in these locations, the
choices are extremely limited. For those of you
familiar with Central America, the state of
Nicaragua's infrastructure most resembles that of
Costa Rica twenty to twenty-five years ago. There
are a number of long-term projects underway,
including hotel and hospitality industry projects,
community-based tourism developments, and road
and other infrastructure improvements, that will
ultimately change the face of Nicaraguan tourism.

Whether these improvements will be sustainable
over the long term will depend on how well the
government, NGO's and the private sector are able
to work together. So where does that leave ecotourism?

In extremely good shape, actually (if severely
underdeveloped). It means that the wilderness
areas in Nicaragua remain true wilderness
(deforestation, etc, is another story). It means that
the country is an ideal location for small-group,
low-impact guided ecotours. It means that with
completely new species being discovered
practically on a daily basis, there is a chance that
a hard-science format tour could be a part of
scientific history.

However, it also means that the visitor should come
to Nicaragua with the knowledge that animals in the
forests are well hidden and often quite shy. If you want
to see tame wildlife that will pose for pictures while
being hand-fed, you had better go elsewhere. The wild
animals of the Nicaraguan forests require patience and
a keen eye. In addition, it means that touring Nicaragua
on one's own and actually seeing anything, let alone
knowing where to go, is practically impossible. Finally,
the lack of infrastructure means that tourists desiring to
visit the most interesting and remote areas need to be
willing to tolerate primitive conditions, hire local
specialists with in-depth knowledge of the area, and be
willing to invest a certain amount of time traveling after
arrival in-country.

What are the rewards for all this effort? First and
foremost, Nicaragua is blessed with extraordinary
natural beauty and high biodiversity. As an example,
the Cerro Kilambe in north-central Nicaragua is believed
to have the highest density population of the northern
quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinnus mocinnus) in Central
America. It is not unusual to see a number of males
competing for females during the mating season
(roughly March-May) when the quetzals come down
out of the canopy and build their nesting holes. During
a recent trip to Kilambe, visitors were delighted when a
tapir wandered through the camp in the middle of the
night. And then were perturbed when a northern cougar
did the same less than an hour later.

Or picture the surprised camper at the La Flor Wildlife
Refuge last year when she woke up to her tent shaking
in the middle of the night to discover an Olive Ridley
Sea Turtle trying to dig her nest under the tent flap.

Secondly, the relatively low tourist volume means that
the visitor has a good chance of NOT seeing another tour
group. There is a lot to be said on the quality side about
being able to visit a protected area or reserve - some of
which are less than two hours from the capital - where the
number of visitors annually can be counted on your fingers.
Walking the two-mile-long nesting beach at Chacocente
where yours are the only footprints is an unforgettable
experience. Nicaragua is one of the least known and least
traveled destinations in Central America.

Finally, because Nicaragua is not yet developed (some
would say overdeveloped) to the level of Costa Rica, or
even parts of Honduras and Guatemala, costs in-country
are reasonable. A week-long package, with comfortable
hotels, food, and transportation, as well as experienced
and knowledgeable guides easily runs less than $2,000
per person, including airfare. Unfortunately, here as
elsewhere it is very much buyer beware.
KNOW YOUR TOUR OPERATOR!

To conclude, Nicaragua is a wonderful destination for
knowledgeable ecotourists who want to experience the
beauty and wonder of the tropical environment, and who
are willing to forgo some of the luxuries found in more
developed tourist areas. With high biodiversity, pristine
beaches, and incredible primary forests, Nicaragua is
truly the "hidden gem" of Central America.

Tom Fletcher runs Ecotourism International of Nicaragua