12 November 2009
By Francisco Cedeño, Photography Oliver Best
From the moment you get to Rio San Juan, you feel that you are in a place you will never forget. Nicaragua’s largest body of water, Lake Cocibolca, gives life to the river, providing a sanctuary for water birds, like herons and needle ducks; sweet water fishes like, shads, sea bass, guapotes and mojarras and millenarian reptiles, like alligators and turtles. The area is also the home of one of the most important nature reserves of Nicaragua: the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve.
The Rio San Juan was known to the conquistadors and colonists who came from Spain as “el Desaguadero” (the drainage) when it was discovered in 1525, because it unites the Caribbean ocean with Lake Cocibolca. The area was a trade point with the Spanish provinces in Costa Rica, Cuba, Cartagena de Indias in Colombia and other Caribbean islands. It was also used by pirates and thieves who invaded San Carlos and stole money, gold and other valuable objects from Managua, Leon and Granada. Because of this, the Spanish built the fortress El Castillo de la Inmaculada Concepcion in the community with the same name.
Over 200km long, the Rio San Juan flows into the Caribbean Sea in the San Juan del Norte community. It borders Costa Rica, and in its long extension there are many border places like the one from Los Chiles, entering Frio River, and San Pancho, in the community that has the same name.
At 300m wide, the Rio San Juan is calm throughout a majority of its length, but there are a few sections of rapids like Los Raudales del Diablo in front of El Castillo.
While traveling the river, you can see the different communities that have been established on its banks like La Esperanza, La Foca, Santa Rosa, Isla Medio Queso, Grande, Palo de Arco, Isla Chica or Sabalos. In most of these towns, the houses are built on stilts to avoid flooding when the level of the river rises during and after the rain.
Most of the inhabitants of San Juan River are fishermen who practice artisan fishing, a type of fishing that involves using small boats and traditional techniques and equipment. There are also communities that harvest oranges and export them to Costa Rica.
For tourists, the Rio San Juan area has been steadily developing a tourism infrastructure that offers a variety of visitor accommodations and activities. There are ecologic hotels that provide opportunities to explore the jungle and enjoy its biodiversity.
This touristic development of Rio San Juan and its surrounding areas has happened in large part thanks to the support provided by international organizations like the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development through the Araucaria project, as well as the Nicaraguan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Rio San Juan can be reached by land, air or lake. By land, you take the Chontales road, however the Acoyapa stretch to San Carlos is deteriorated so you will need a 4×4. Buses are avaible as well. The ride takes about 9 hours and costs C$300 Cordobas (US$15.00). You can get the bus at the Mayoreo Market in Managua. The journey by air takes 47 minutes and costs US$120 dollars roundtrip. You can get there by boats leaving from Granada. It takes from 12 to 15 hours and it stops at Ometepe Island, Morrito and San Miguelito. The cost is around C$150 Cordobas (US$7.50).
From San Carlos you can go to many different locations along the San Juan River. There is a boat that leaves to El Castillo everyday at 8 AM, with a capacity of 55 people and a cost of C$77 (US$4.00) Cordobas. The boat returns to San Carlos at 2 PM. In order to get to San Juan del Norte, you have to be there by 7AM to arrive at 4PM, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with a capacity of 90 people and a cost of C$400.00 Cordobas (US$20.00). The boat returns on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. There is another faster boat that holds 20 people, costs C$500.00 (US$25.00) and has the same schedule, but gets there in just 5 hours.
