Nicaragua is perfect to discover on a motorcycle. The country is authentic, and the people are very friendly and helpful. There is an abundance of many quiet paved- and unpaved roads "off the beaten track" which we will discover on our rental motorbikes. This country in Central America offers a lot of variety and unforgettable folklore.
The start and end of our trip is the oldest city in Central America, Granada. A colonial trading city (est. 1524) with beautiful cobblestone roads, impressive churches and cathedrals, countless restored colonial buildings and cozy plazas. We'll visit the active volcano Masaya and look into its smoking throat, ride along crystal-clear lakes and volcanic mountain chains and through dusty villages. Nicaraguan folklore plays a large role in Nicaraguan culture. Many songs and dances tell us tales of mysterious and sometimes frightening mythical characters known to all Nicaraguans. Nicaragua's folklore and tale traditions have started at least 25 distinctive myths and legends.
After several days in the somewhat cooler mountain region of Nicaragua, we head south. We meet cowboys, colorful bullock carts, fog- and primeval forests,broad rivers and the beautiful unspoiled beaches on the Pacific coast where sea turtles like to lay their eggs.
Everything you need to know about this tour. Do you have any further questions? Please contact us!
Depending on your home time zone and flight, you arrive back home on day 16 or 17.
Arrival in the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. You will be picked up at the airport and transferred to the nearby beautiful colonial city of Granada.
We leave Granada, where we will come back at the end of our trip. We ride directly to Masaya, to experience the crater rim of the volcano. Here you'll look right into the mouth of the crater of this year-round active volcano. You can see and smell the vapors and fumes that rise from the volcano. We then continue towards Mateare. We'll ride over a small mountain ridge, on sandy roads and through quiet villages, where we meet fully loaded colorful ox carts and their riders along the way. Once back on tarmac roads, we'll have wonderful views of the Momotombo volcano on Lake Xolotlan. In the village of La Paz Centro we take a shortcut and arrive in the beautiful city of León, the cultural, religious and intellectual heart of Nicaragua.
Our guided motorbike tour allows for a rest day today, but there is a lot to do if you feel up to it. You have the time to take a look at the old colonial city. If you prefer to ride the motorbike today, you can take a tour of the volcanic chains of Leòn, or you can take a side trip to Chichigalpa, home of the world famous rum. The beaches near León are also well worth the effort. A boat tour throught he Isla Juan Venado natural area takes you through mangrove forests with a variety of animals along the beach. Here you'll find important breeding grounds for sea turtles that lay their eggs between July and February. If you want to make a little effort, it is worth climbing up the Cerro Negro volcano. The view from the top of the volcano rim is great, and your reward is waiting for you there - surf your way back down the volcano on a boogie board!
Today a large part of our route is unpaved and we'll ride along a chain of different volcanoes on remote and sandy paths. We continue north towards La Pancha, where motorized traffic is a rarity. We wade through the river, where people and animals gather to cool off. During lunch in El Sauce we'll enjoy Gallo Pinto, the national dish made from rice and beans. On a breathtaking motorbike route on a good dirt road we reach Estelí, famous for the tobacco cultivation and great cigars. A great place to observe daily Nicaraguan life, and hardly any tourists and if you like street art, you will love the area around the square.
We follow our route on scenic country roads towards the charming dusty town of San Juan de Limay, known for its stonemasons, who carve soapstone and other types of rock from the mountains in the Cerro Tipiscayan area. In this area, ancient rock carvings were found. We visit the beautiful Somoto Canyon, one of the oldest rock formations in Central America. This is where the longest river in Central America, the Coco (or Wangki),originates. Somoto Canyon wasn't discovered until 2004 and is one of the latest finds of beauty in Nicaragua. You can tell by the amount of travelers, which is no more than a handful.
Pioneering our way on our motorbikes to the remote, unspoiled mountain region in the north. Here we are away from tourism in landscapes that regular tourist will not see. On the well-paved road we'll travel on the panoramic route to Telpaneca and SanJuan del Rio Coco. We cross the Rio Coco River and pursue our adventure farther south. Our goal today is la Dalia, where we'll spend the night in an Ecolodge.
We leave La Dalia and ride the scenic route to Matagalpa on a tarmac road. On our way there, we can visit a waterfall. We're surrounded by cloudy forests and the average temperature here is comfortable, but it rains regularly, so take fleece and rainwear with you.Our hotel is located in the middle of a pristine, abundant nature reserve El Arenal. If you want, you can go on guided hikes with the friendly owner. He also explains coffee growing and processing.
Today we'll take a day tour in the beautiful surroundings, around the Lago Apanas reservoir. On our way there, there's fresh, woodfire-grilled fish from the lake for lunch. We'll have our choice of excursions, e.g. to the impressive Penas Blancas massif, part of the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve. Here you will find one of the highest mountains in Nicaragua (1745 m/5700ft). But of course you can also give your rental motorcycle a rest and hike in the area, or visit the town of Matagalpa with the coffeemuseum.
"Our self-ride trip was very varied and the contact with the country and the local people was always friendly and courteous despite our little knowledge of Spanish. There were plenty of highlights, from the cities of Granada and Leon to the coffee plantations and rainforest, the island of Ometepe and the stay in San Juan del Sur. The hotels were very comfortable and well chosen. The GPS data was very helpful, not to say very crucial for the tour, because without them we would never have found the very well-chosen routes. Also the very personal manual was very helpful. It was a great trip! "
On our way out of the cloud forests and coffee plantations, the route curves its way along smaller paved and unpaved paths. We'll now get to an area with rodeos and cowboys and visit a colorful local market along the way. Our goal today is to reach the authentic Juigalpa on our motorcycles. This small town is situated on a high plateau with a view over the valley, which is intersected by an idyllic river.
With the green hills behind us, we now ride into the hot lowlands. We'll travel through open fields on small country roads and cross the Rio Tipitapa by ferry. We continue along Lake Nicaragua to Granada. We ride past the north side of the Mombacho volcano. Since the soil is very fertile here, there is a variety of agricultural abundance in these areas. We spend the night on the port town of San Jorge on Lake Nicaragua, from where you have the best view of the island of Ometepe.
In the early morning we take our motorbikes onto the ferry to Ometepe Island, which was formed by two volcanoes, the Conceptiòn and the Maderas, which are interconnected. Ometepe has a rich pre-colonial history and is one of the most important regions in the world for rock art / petroglyphs. In 2010 the island was declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
The beautiful,relaxed island of Ometepe offers opportunities for numerous activities. Depending on the weather, you can rent a kayak and paddle to different islands or the river deltas, or you can choose to cycle, hike, kite surf or ride a horse. But you can also circumnavigate the island by motorbike, on a dirt and adventurous path. Just doing nothing and lounging on the beach is also an option.
We continue our tour south, near the Costa Rican border and ride along a little known dirt road towards the Pacific. We explore the lonely beaches south of San Juan del Sur and pass small, quiet fishing villages where life is still very natural, quaint and simple. There are two important breeding grounds for sea turtles here. We spend the night in the center of the most famous seaside resort on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. In the evening you can enjoy the famous sunset, possibly in combination with fresh seafood or fish dishes and a cold beer.
Today we'll take the time to discover other beaches, only accessible on small dirt roads, for example Playa Maderas. These beaches are world famous for their good surfing opportunities, but it is still quiet here. If you want to give your motorbike some rest today, you can surf, sail, dive, fish or enjoy the view of abundant jungle on a tree canopy tour.
Our day starts with a ride to the vista point at the giant Christ statue for a last look over the bay of San Juan del Sur. We visit Catarina, one of the Pueblos Blancos with local arts and crafts. Here we have a beautiful view of the volcanic lake Laguna de Apoyo, Granada and even Ometepe. We'll ride along the lake and on small streets until we reach Granada, where we return our motorcycles. Granada was founded in 1524 and is still a jewel of colonial architecture. There are numerous restored colonial buildings here, from town houses to churches and cathedrals. It is nice to immerse yourself in local culture and sit in the Parque Central to observe local life and folks.
We will transfer you to the airport. Depending on your home time zone, you arrive home on day 16 or 17.
During this trip, we ride 250 cc (17.7 hp) Genesis motorcycles with a seat height of 90 cm (or equivalent). We have some lower motorcycle available.
During the trip through Nicaragua we're not exposed extreme altitudes heights or extremely deserted areas. The day tours are usually not long, so there is plenty of time and opportunities to stop on the way, take pictures or visit villages.
About les then a third of the route we'll ride on unpaved roads. These routes are not difficult to ride,even without off-road experience. However, in bad weather, these off-road days could be tiring. Off-road experience is therefore recommended. Offroad basic training is very useful as preparation. In doing so, you learn how best to handle the motorcycle off-road. It will surely increase your riding pleasure. The motorbikes are light and handy enduro bikes, perfect for this motorcycle trip.
Nicaragua's climate consists of three tropical climates. The northwest and east have a tropical rainforest climate, the central part and the southwest have a tropical monsoon and tropical savanna climate. The central part of Nicaragua has a rainy season, with the most rainfall during the summer (May to October). The period from November to April is much drier. Temperatures on the coast are around 35 degrees Celsius (95F) year round. In the mountains, it can cool down to 15 degrees (59F), especially in the evening.
A helmet is mandatory, as well as protective clothing with built in protectors, good gloves and boots or sturdy shoes. Because of the heat, it is recommended to wear breathable protective clothing. In the colder parts of the mountains, you can wear extra clothing under your jacket if necessary. Because of the dust, we recommend that you bring good glasses or a helmet with a visor. Furthermore, good sunglasses are practical. We plan our trips outside the rainy season, but there are no guarantees. Since it can rain from time to time, a light rain suit is recommended.
For all countries you need a valid driver's license and a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity). You are responsible to find out VISA requirements specifically belonging to the passport you hold. You can verify up to date information from your local embassy, or consulate in your country of citizenship or find this information online for example via https://visacentral.com/ online.
Consult with your travel doctor for up to date medical travel information well before departure. It is your responsibility to make sure that you obtain your visa and have immunizations completed in time.
For non- USA-passport holders, a U.S. travel authorization called ESTA is required for a transit flight across the United States. More information at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/.
You are responsible to make sure that you are covered for injury, health, emergency repatriation,damages and loss for yourself and for third parties. International travel insurance is a medical insurance that provides coverage for any unexpected injuries, illnesses and other risks while you are traveling abroad.
Property damage caused to third parties is covered with a maximum of $ 5000. Personal injury inflicted on third parties is covered up to $ 5000. In the event of an accident, the insurance does not pay for damage to the motorcycle.The maximum damage to the motorcycle is 1500, - USD. The deposit is 100 euros per person.
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Rider starting at: € 3350,-
Pillion: €2850,-
Single room up-charge: € 350,-
Pocket money to bring: €350,-*
Minimum number of riding participants: 4
Maximum number of riding participants: 10
Maximum number of passengers: 2
Visa (Exclusive): $ 10 upon entry into Nicaragua. ESTA-form 14 USD necessary for a flight via United States
This tour is available on these dates:
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