On a late afternoon, after crusing down the Rio San Juan for almost 4 hours, the general public ferry lastly deposited us in El Castillo. I felt weary from the weeks we’d spent travelling on packed rooster buses throughout Nicaragua. However as we deboarded and wandered looking for meals, it appeared prefer it wasn’t simply the panorama that had modified. The sky shone a little bit brighter, folks have been chilling at road corners, and upbeat music adopted us in all places we went. We had arrived within the Nicaraguan Caribbean in spite of everything!
However we hadn’t but reached our vacation spot.
We have been but to sail additional down the river, into the Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve, previous settlements of indigenous communities who nonetheless dwell in wood stilt homes. We’d really feel our hearts quieten amidst the candy melody of birds, as we entered no extraordinary Nicaragua jungle. This was the nation’s second largest old-growth tropical rainforest. The setting solar would fill the river with a mushy orange mild, and shortly, our abode for the following 5 days would come into sight: A wooden home on stilts!
Additionally learn: 6 Months, 6 Countries: Epic Memories from Central America
Eco-tourism in Nicaragua
Regardless of the years which have handed since, the recollections of dwelling within the solar-powered wooden home, crusing on the Rio San Juan looking for the white-faced capuchin monkeys, and feeling a robust sense of reference to the unbelievable Indio Maiz rainforest stay etched in my thoughts.
So it felt each surreal and highly effective to reconnect with our host household final yr, and study their inspiring journey. The San Juan Wooden Home is now Guacimo Eco-lodge (Instagram @rio_san_juan_lodge) – named after the Guacimo tree (of the cacao household) that greets travellers after they first arrive. Similar location, nonetheless powered by 100% photo voltaic, nonetheless family-run, however with far larger efforts to preserve the Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve – famous to have larger biodiversity than all of Europe!
Additionally learn: What India (and the World) Can Learn From Sustainable Tourism in Kerala
Conservation-based journey on Rio San Juan
I might really feel my adrenalin rush as Manuel, the co-founder of Guacimo Lodge, talked about canoeing down the Rio San Juan, via the Indio Maiz Reserve and the Rio Bartola, to lastly soar into the cooling river water at El Playon. I remembered my very own time on the river – otter recognizing, and maintaining a pointy eye out for howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys. The river was as soon as utilized by People to journey from one coast to the opposite, in the course of the Gold Rush of the 1800s, however fell into obscurity after the Panama Canal was constructed.
However adventuring on the river and within the forest is a dreamy sustainable journey expertise now. Guacimo Lodge has been working with Nicaraguan biologist Edgar Castañeda to develop and implement a biodiversity conservation plan. Collectively, they’ve initiated the Indio Maiz Biodiversity project on iNaturalist, with a aim to doc common and but unknown species within the San Juan river and the biosphere reserve.
This implies travellers now grow to be citizen scientists, not simply observing the wild world but additionally documenting its altering biodiversity. 4,000+ observations over 1,495 species have been reported up to now! The initiative additionally invitations native Nicaraguan naturalists to frequent the forest and be taught from its wonders.
Additionally learn: 10 Incredible Eco Lodges Around the World: Indulge Yourself and Spare the Planet
Tropical forest trails and an Indio Maiz Hall (within the works)
I keep in mind spending my mornings gazing out on the major forest within the yard of the Wooden Home, wishing I might quietly go in and observe the toucans and cedar bushes. Guacimo Eco lodge, underneath steering from Edgar Castañeda, made that attainable by designing the area’s first eco forest path. Travellers, naturalists and would-be citizen scientists can now be taught first-hand, the worth of this wealthy ecosystem, the species it harbors, and what life on this jungle at evening is like.
Guacimo lodge is situated about 2.5 kilometers away from the biosphere reserve, separated by 5 farms. The lodge is now seeking to work with these neighboring farms to create a forest hall connecting its patch of major forest with the reserve, via cost for ecosystem providers. It will create extra space for wild animals to maneuver freely and have sufficient meals to feed on. What an excellent method that will be to broaden a dwelling habitat!
Additionally learn: How an Entire Village Transformed From Hunting Birds to Conserving Them
Local weather motion and sustainability practices at Guacimo Lodge
I’m at all times skeptical when locations I’ve stayed at and liked, inform me about their progress plans. Can we ever actually develop with out sacrificing our core values?
I used to be relieved to be taught that at Guacimo Lodge, the aspiration is simply that. As a substitute of a sprawling lodge, Guacimo solely arrange 6 cabañas – manufactured from largely recycled wooden and domestically made clay tiles. Every of those speak in confidence to the river and forest, permitting world-weary travellers to fall into rhythm with uncooked, wild nature.
In addition to their modern work with biodiversity conservation, documentation and schooling, the lodge is taking the next measures to scale back its carbon footprint:
- Power: Guacimo Eco-lodge is powered by 100% photo voltaic power, decreasing its Scope 2 emissions to zero.
- Meals: Noting that cattle ranching is the main reason behind deforestation on this pristine forest, the eco lodge presents a beef-free menu. Globally too, beef is the only most carbon intensive animal meals, each because of deforestation and cow burps which launch the extremely potent methane! I fondly keep in mind all my gallo pinto (native rice and beans) meals on the wooden home.
- Wooden: In November 2016, the highly effective Hurricane Otto hit the area. Whereas the forest continues to be recovering from its influence, the fallen bushes have been recycled to construct the lodge, together with wooden obtained from regenerative plantations.
- Water: Water on the lodge comes from a pure spring, and is purified utilizing pure filtration methods (like sand deposits). When drawn from the bottom, a photo voltaic pump is used. All black and gray water is filtered for re-use.
- Plastic: No single-use plastic bottled water is obtainable, and different non-recyclables are minimized.
- Neighborhood: 100% of the employment on the lodge is from the area. In the course of the constructing part, they labored with expert artisans, carpenters and masons from El Castillo and San Carlos to design the cabañas in tune with the native structure, together with pure air flow methods.
Additionally learn: Can Luxury Travel be Sustainable? What I Learnt Staying at Spice Village, Thekkady
Certainly one of my fondest recollections on the wooden home is studying a ebook on the wood swing, because the rain lashed the river, mist stuffed the afternoon, and the solar fought its method into the sky to create a double rainbow. So I needed to ask Manuel if, all these years later, that feeling has modified in any method?
“I keep in mind days and days of interminable rain. It was the Nicaraguan area with the best stage of rainfall. Now, despite the fact that rain continues to be very prevalent, it’s under no circumstances because it was earlier than,” he instructed me candidly.
Like in all places else on the earth, the influence of local weather change, deforestation, useful resource extraction and unsustainable growth has taken its toll on the Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve too. However tourism – if executed proper – has the potential to preserve it, create alternate livelihoods, and permit travellers like us to consciously expertise a particular place on Earth. Guacimo Ecolodge is displaying the best way!
Additionally learn: Responsible Travel Tips to Have a Meaningful Adventure
Sensible info
Getting there: El Castillo is the closest city, accessible by a public ferry from San Carlos. The lodge organizes a non-public boat pickup from right here.
Wellness, yoga and swimming: Whereas Guacimo Eco Lodge doesn’t provide yoga lessons and isn’t a wellness retreat per se, it presents loads of alternatives to disconnect from the world and reconnect with nature. It additionally has a spring water-fed outside swimming pool to chill off on scorching tropical days.
Prices and bookings: Book a stay at this gorgeous ecolodge for150$ per evening. All inclusive packages (together with keep on the ecolodge, meals and actions) for 3-4 days can be found on their website. Comply with the lodge on Instagram for updates and particular presents.
Have you ever travelled to Nicaragua or is it in your radar? Have you ever stayed at an eco-lodge that offers you hope for the way forward for tourism and conservation?
Observe: I wrote this submit in collaboration with Guacimo Eco-lodge. As you realize, opinions on this weblog are at all times my very own!
Welcome to my weblog, The Capturing Star. I’ve been known as a storyteller, author, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveller, vegan, sustainable tourism guide and environmentalist. However in my coronary heart, I’m only a woman who believes that journey – if executed proper – has the ability to alter us and the world we dwell in.
