Destination

San Juan River, Nicaragua

The San Juan River is a timeless passageway through dense tropical forest from Central America's grandest lake to the Caribbean Sea. This historic river was the route of famous pirates and later the stage for great colonial period battles between the Spanish and British Crowns. It later became the route of Cornelius Vanderbilt's inter-oceanic steam ship service during the California gold rush. The Rio San Juan, described by Mark Twain in his notebooks as "an earthly paradise", is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding rain forest experiences available anywhere.

The 190 km length of the San Juan River, from the inland sea of Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean is full of fabulous flora and fauna, including the Indio- Maíz Biological Reserve, 4,000 square kilometers of virgin rain forest and wildlife. The Indio-Maíz reserve has been described by University of California biologists as "the gem of Central American nature reserves". The San Juan River affords access to the Indio-Maíz Biological Reserve, home to many endangered species: howler, white faced and spider monkeys, jaguar, giant anteaters, crocodiles, toucans, parrots and a rainbow of orchid and butterflies.

Over 600 species of birds live here, along with more than 300 species of reptiles and 200 species of mammals. This is the lungs of Central America, the biggest expanse of tropical lowland rain forest north of the Amazon basin. Lodging on the San Juan River includes simple river front lodges at the mouths of the Río Sábalo, Río Bartola and Río Sarapiquí, though the superior lodge is in the Bay of San Juan at the end of the Río San Juan.