Rio San Juan, Nature at its Best

It flows 199 Km from Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea. It is an area rich in nature and historic events.

During the gold rush in California (1849), the river was the perfect route for American travelers trying to go from the east coast to the west coast of USA looking for gold. San Juan River is a perfect interoceanic route and San Carlos is the first town you should visit in region.

You can travel from Managua to San Carlos by airplane. You can also take a boat, and navigated the river, till you get to El Castillo, Spanish fortress built during the 17th century, constructed in order to protect the country from pirates. Here Nelson, the famous admiral or pirate was defeated and lost an eye when he was still a young pirate.

From El Castillo you may continue down the river until you reach the National Reserve Indio Maiz, a real paradise for those who love nature and bird watching.

This reserve covers an area of approximately 2.500 Km² and is bounded by the rivers Indio and Maiz. On November a fishing tournament is held at Rio San Juan.