Tobacco, Tortillas & Trails
Itinerary
Day 1 – Glory days of Granada
The oldest city in the New World, Granada is striking with its colourful colonial buildings and diverse culture. Upon arrival in Managua, you’ll be transferred directly to your hotel in Granada, a journey of about an hour. You’ll stay in a comfortable colonial-style hotel with its own swimming pool.
Day 2 – City walk
After breakfast, you’ll be picked up by your English-speaking guide for a walk through the city. Together you’ll discover the best spots in Granada. In the central square, there’s often live music in the evening, especially on Friday night when the terraces are full and the atmosphere is exuberant. The University of Granada has a large population, and many exchange students from around the world come here to study Spanish. It gives the city a young, eclectic vibe, and there are often cultural festivals, exhibitions and workshops. During the walk, you’ll get the chance to look out over Granada, Lake Nicaragua, the Apoyo lagoon and a multitude of distant volcanoes.
Day 3 – The colonial charm of Léon
You’ll travel from Granada to Leon by private car, which takes roughly 3.5 hours. Leon has a rich colonial history with 12 cathedrals and churches. When you arrive in Leon, you’ll travel straight to your accommodation in the middle of downtown. The hotel is a converted monastery and museum housing religious statues and paintings. This evening, you could take a walk to the central square, where you can stroll along the market stalls and watch the local musicians and old folk who gather to play cards.
Day 4 – Cultural heritage tour & departure
After breakfast, you’ll be collected from your hotel, ready for a unique tour learning to create traditional Nicaraguan art. Watch a local artist demonstrate the age-old techniques of creating a variety of typical Nicaraguan handicrafts; then try them out yourself. You may not be an expert after your first try, but at least you’ll have some original homemade souvenirs to take back to friends and family back home.
You’ll be dropped off back at your hotel at around lunch time, giving you the rest of the day free to explore the city. In the centre of Leon alone, you’ll find 12 colonial cathedrals and churches with beautiful sculptures and vaults. The city has an intellectual atmosphere, and you can really soak up the history.
Day 5 – Take in the tobacco hills
We’ll arrange a private transfer to take you into the tobacco hills of Esteli, a journey of about 2.5 hours. You won’t find many tourists in Esteli, mostly just local people going about their daily lives. You’ll stay in a small-scale hotel in the centre of Esteli, which donates all its profits to social projects in and around the town. So far, they have sent out 7,500 batches of school supplies to various schools across the town.
Day 6 – Cigar tour
Today, you’ll discover the entire cigar manufacturing process from the moment the seeds are planted to the moment the cigars hit the shop floor. It’s particularly interesting to see how the cigars are rolled; pay attention because next it’s your turn! You might find it a little tricky at first – the locals make it look so easy. The afternoon is free for you to explore this unique town.
Day 7 – Hiking trails and quetzal tails
You’ll travel to the Cerro Datanli-El Diablo Nature Reserve near Jinotega by private car, a journey that will take about 90 minutes. Surround yourself with deep gorges, mountain ridges and cloud forests in Nicaragua’s wild north. You’ll stay in an eco-friendly lodge situated amongst the coffee estates. From the wooden terrace, you can see birds and butterflies fluttering amongst the vibrant flowers.
Day 8 – Guided hike through the reserve
You’ll rise early for breakfast surrounded by the sounds of nature. Along with your guide, you’ll hike through the reserve to a lookout point where you’ll be treated to impressive views across the mountains right the way down to Apanás Lake. After 2-3 hours, you’ll be back at your eco-lodge, giving you plenty of time to spend as you wish. There are lots of tours on offer which you can book locally.
Day 9 – Travel to Matagalpa
Next, we’ll arrange a private transfer to take you to Matagalpa, famous for its coffee. Your travel time today is about 45 minutes. If there is one thing that Nicaragua is renowned for, it has to be coffee. What you might not know is that there is a large indigenous Indian community in the region, resulting in a variety of interesting handicrafts and lively music. You’ll stay in a mountain-view hotel in the Cerro Arenal Nature Reserve, so you can enjoy the sound of the forest alongside your morning coffee.
Day 10 – Matagalpa coffee tour
Today is all about coffee, so why not grab a cup at breakfast this morning? It’s almost certainly from the region. After a leisurely breakfast, you’ll head out to the coffee plantations to begin this Nicaragua coffee tour. You’ll learn about the whole coffee-making process from bean to cup and your guide will explain everything, from harvesting, washing and drying, to the roasting and grinding of the beans.
Day 11 – At home with the Nicos
A private transfer will pick you up from your hotel and take you to your homestay in the San Ramon community, roughly a 1-hour drive away. The local people in San Ramon have set up a successful community project where local families open their homes to tourists. You’ll immerse yourself in the culture of a local family by staying in their home and trying your hand at some home-cooked Nicaraguan food. In this small village, you’re unlikely to meet many other tourists. It might also be the perfect time to brush up on a little Spanish!
Day 12 – Return to Granada
Today, you’ll travel by private car to Granada, roughly a 3-hour drive, where you’ll spend the night in the same hotel as the start of your trip. Relax by the pool and enjoy a slow afternoon before tomorrow’s journey to Ometepe Island.
Day 13 & 14 – Discover Ometepe Island
This morning, you’ll be transferred to the Ferry Port in San Jorge, which takes about 2 hours to drive. You’ll then catch the ferry over to Ometepe Island, the crossing normally takes an hour. You’ll be met on the other side and transferred to your hotel, which usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes.
Ometepe Island lies in the second-largest freshwater lake in Latin America. There’s nothing planned for you during your stay, so you can decide how to spend your time. Relax on the beach, try some hiking up one of the volcanoes, or jump on a bike and discover the island. You’ll stay in the centre of Ometepe between the two volcanoes. From your hammock, you can enjoy the sounds of wind, water and birds.
Day 15 & 16 – The mighty volcano
A transfer will take you to the port where you’ll catch the ferry back to the mainland. From here, we’ll arrange for a private transfer to take you to Managua, a journey of roughly 2.5 hours. Managua may not be the prettiest of cities, but it’s worth stopping a while to appreciate the fading colonial buildings and take in the impressive sight of Masaya Volcano. Along the way, try to catch a glimpse of the green Parakeets and bats before peering into the crater mouth.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. The following day, we will arrange a private transfer to take you to Managua airport, ready for your international flight back to the UK.
Accommodation
