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New Nicaragua Tour Packages

Nicaragua travelers can experience the best of Nicaragua's history, colonial architecture and nature with "Nicaragua's Sleeping Beauty", a 6-day tour combining visits to Managua, Granada and Leon with soft adventure trips to the nearby cloud forests of the Mombacho Volcano and the active volcanoes of Masaya National Park. Package includes 5-nights hotel accommodations in Managua, airport transfers, daily breakfast and lunch during excursions, bilingual guides, insurance, taxes and full-day tours. Prices range from $1,130 (single) to $495 (triple). For details, contact 011-505-268-2412.

"A Journey Into the Heart of Greenness". Travelers on this 8-day private expedition will enjoy a timeless passageway down the San Juan River through dense tropical rain forest from Central America's grandest lake to the Caribbean. This historic river was the stage for great colonial period battles between the Spanish Crown and British and French pirates and later became the route of Cornelius Vanderbilt's inter-oceanic steam ship service during the California gold rush. The 8-day tour is $2,345.00 per person (double occupancy), including biologist guide. Contact 011- 505-252-4035.

Guided by a local historian and naturalist, travelers on this 7-night/8- day journey will enjoy a boat exploration of Lake Nicaragua (the largest freshwater lake in Central America), a tour of Granada and an expedition to the pristine La Flor Wildlife Refuge to witness massive turtle arrivals. (Nicaragua's "arribadas" have reached up to 20,000 nesting female turtles.) Prices range from $1,600 (single) to $919 (triple) and include deluxe transportation, English-speaking guides, luxury accommodation, breakfasts and day trips. Contact yariela.enriquez@carelitours.com for information.

For the active at heart, Soltours offers "Nicaragua Trekking" a comprehensive 12-night/13-day tour that uncovers the country's diverse topography. The tour ranges from the northern mountainous region to the beaches on the Pacific coast. Accommodations vary from bunk beds to two and three-star hotels. Tours are for groups of 6-10 and priced from $1,150 for six to $1075 for ten. Please call.

New Nicaragua Coffee Tour

The Nicaragua Tourism Board will be launching the "Nicaragua Coffee Route" providing tourists with the opportunity to experience the livelihood and traditions rooted in one of the country's leading exports. Tourists will be able to witness first hand the way of life of this region via 8 routes being developed in the northern zone. More than 3000 ft. above sea level, Nicaragua's cloud- covered mountains offer orchid covered forests of mahogany, cedar and pines, providing an idyllic setting for hiking and eco-tourism. Highlights include, boutique mountain hotels (such as Selva Negra), small trails and protected areas.