somoto canyon

your expectations and time of year. I did the canyon Feb 25 and was a little disappointed. Partly, I may have set myself up by having too high a set of expectations. I had expected (hoped) for more water, more slots, more challenge. However, this time of the year is dry so there was more walking than in the river. That was my fault for not doing enough research. If you enjoy nature, the wonder of geography, and a little exertion, certainly go for it. The water might be a little chilly for some. You should use a guide - for several reasons. However, don't expect a lot of info from the guides. I'd suggest that the medium length tour is sufficient. Staying in Somoto is enjoyable.

Okay so stay at Somoto which is about 13km from the site itself. Get a taxi to the main gate (there are 3 dependent on which hike you want) Option 1 is an hour and a half or there abouts, option 2 is 3.5 hours to 4 hours and then option 3 is a full on 6 hour hike.We opted for the medium hike. We were told you do not need a guide and were quite annoyed when we were forced to accept a guide. Now LISTEN UP FOLKS......you need a guide. Trust me, you need a guide. Whilst the walk in is very simple, i.e. you walk 500m up the highway and cut in through a different access point, then wander up a hill. When you reach the top there is a split in the path and a gate in the middle. Yes you go through the gate but when you reach the bottom and the river running away to the RIGHT, this is where a guide becomes essential.For sure you can pick your way along the rocks but a guide knows where to cross and where to swim and where to walk. They provide dry bags also and all in its $12 each. We tipped heavily as our chap was superb (Sergio Rivera Cel: 86038026)So swim follows swim follows jumping from 10m into 14m of water and hours tick by. My advice is WEAR TRAINERS as your feet will hurt like heck if you do it bare foot like I did.Take water and sensible snacks. Orios are great but you are better with wet stuff like apples and oranges and share them with your guide. Go Pros are best for filming and take your own dry bag as theirs are good but not 100% waterproof. See Aquapac for the best bags available.For 10m wide and 10m high you swim into 150m and 10m across. It is just beautiful. Avoid weekends.MASSIVELY IMPORTANT.....its 13kms from Somoto and if you come out after about 15.00hrs you will need to walk back. There is a

There is only one way to see this natural wonder of Nicaragua and that is with the only independent guiding group that uses guides and support staff all from the local communities around the canyon to ensure that all the profits stay in the local area and benefit families in the villages. And this group is Somoto Canyon Tours!The guides, licensed by the Nicaraguan government's department of tourism, are fantastic and great fun to be around whether you are on your own or in a group with children and/or seniors. The group leader, Henry Soriano, is a fount of all knowledge, especially when it comes to travel arrangements and getting across the border safely into Honduras and El Salvador. I stayed in the wonderful cabins they have at their house and was treated as one of the family with delicious and generous meals on the terrace of the family home and fresh made refrescos daily. Yum!The outdoor adventure with my guide was superb, the early swimming in the river Tapacali glorious in absolute stunning silence, visits to the bat caves and then standing at the formation point of the Rio Coco, the longest river in Central America, then down into the canyon itself where one can still see how Hurricane Mitch so many years ago scoured the narrow channel with waters up to 80 feet! And the jumps into the pool in the middle. I had to do the 20 metre jump and the guide helped me the whole way. A superb day, followed by a morning trip up to the lookout points on the canyon rim at dawn. Magical with the view over all the mountains of north western Nicaragua. Then an afternoon of horse-riding. Just brilliant. I'll be back!!!

Staying on this ranch with a wonderful nicaragua family was a heartwarming experience. Marcio was our guide through the canyon where we swam, hiked and jumped from our choice of various heights. Marcio was very knowledgeable, pointing out many species of flora and fauna.

We booked our Canon de Somoto tour through Hotel El Rosario, where we stayed. Our guide's name was Reynal and he was AWESOME. He was friendly and upbeat and very knowledgeable. He gave us a great tour - giving us lots of information about the countryside and culture along the way. He was incredibly warm and patient with our youngest child who is 6. Our little guy got very cold in the canyon water and Reynal carried him in several places or let him float on the dry-bag to help him stay warmer. He really went above-and-beyond his guide duties. Both of us parents and our older two children (ages 13 and 10) *loved* this tour. It was one of the highlights of our 3 week trip to NIcaragua. (We did the middle-length tour.) Reynal explained everything about the canyon tour in advance, made arrangements for our transportation, brought all the supplies we needed, and gave us an awesome tour. I recommend him highly.

If you love exploring the outdoors, then visiting Somoto Canyon should be on your list. We chose to go with Somoto Canyon Tours run by Henry Soriano. First of all, the canyon is beautiful. Sitting right on the Border of Honduras, the Rio Coco flows through it and has carved a very narrow channel through the rock. To get through it requires a mix of hiking, rock scrambling, swimming, floating, jumping and boating at the end or a very long swim. You don't have to be a super athlete to do it, just adventurous.Somoto Canyon Tours was great. They use only local guides so the money spent stays in the community. Our guide was very attentive and super patient with our many requests for photos. After the tour we were treated to a meal of pollo asado and were entertained by their many pets. Of you go, be sure and have Carbon, the cat, show his hoop jumping trick.Overall, we had a great time and highly recommend visiting.

Canon de Somoto is such an amazing part of Nicaragua. We did the standard tour which took you hiking, swimming, floating, cliff jumping and followed by a small canoe ride at the end. The views were breathtaking. Would have loved to have spent more time there to explore the canyon and just float through it.Careful with the tour you take and agree on everything with the guide before paying. Had some problems with the guides at the entrance as they told us lunch and a one-way taxi ride were included but then they were not which is a bit disappointing.

Amazing place for an adventure you will never forget. If you're from a tropical weather country the water will feel a little cold. Otherwise, you will love every single moment. Swimming, treading water and walking. Best time ever!!!

I have been several times with Somoto Canyon Tours and find them by far the best guides to the adventures in the canyon and in the surrounding area. They are a local group of guides at the village of Sonis at the trailhead to the canyon and employ locals to the benefit of the village. The guides are certified under a government programme and their fi. Every time I go they are welcoming, friendly and knowrst priority is one's safety. A variety of tours, including by horseback and in local farms, camping and the adventure in the waters of the canyon, is available. Henry Soriano, the leader of the guides, is the head of the local council, and works with non-profit groups to improve facilities such as the school and water supply. He has developed an amazing group of guides who will provide adventure and excitement, as well as local knowledge as they have lived within walking distance of the canyon their whole lives. From nature interpretation, to adrenalin sports like abseiling and canyon jumps to 20m, to inner tube and boat trips for youngsters they can do it all. No need to call on anyone else. Their tours come complete with a nutritious and plentiful lunch, vegetarian options available. And Henry can organise your onward travel to Honduras and El Salvador (by executive coach if you require it) as well as with local buses to other Nicaraguan cities. A brilliant tour service. And accommodation averrable in their cabins too.

Great adventure, took the two hour trip for $15 each. Awesome bargain, guide supplied life vests and wet bag to keep my nice camera dry. Nice walk in with two shallow river crossings, then a boat ride, then 4 or 5 tube rides with short portages. View is amazing and trip is easy. Wear shoes to wade in the water with, there are lots of rocks. Enjoy, not a built up tourist trap yet, simply beautiful.

My husband and I went to Canyon de Somoto this summer and had a blast! You have to hike to the canyon and swim through a portion of el rio coco. Everyone wears life vests because you have to swim quite a bit. There is a portion of the tour that you have the option of jumping off a cliff. It's incredibly exhilarating and fun and I would recommend you try it even if its just once.You should definitely wear light clothes or swimwear because you do have to hike back to the welcome center. They do have a small room that the guide let us use to change into our dry clothes. The only bad thing about it, is that its about a 4 hour car ride from Managua, so plan a trip early in the day. I would not recommend this for a family with young children

The place is a bit of road, but especially if you rent a car (very recommendable!) you can manage it very easily from Esteli in 2hrs. The Canon itself is really amazing canon which you can go through in 3 possible treks. Long one 5hrs, middle 3,5hrs and short one. We did the middle one. The long one has a more walking along the river with observing the beautiful countryside. The middle one has 45 min walking to the canon and then going and swimming through. The level of the river varies a lot, we came in the rainy season but was very dry weather (I never got it here with the seasons...) so the level was very low. Even like that we had to pass several stages with water up the chest or swimming. The water was very warm (27C) so it was excellent. After some hour, you have a jump 2m, after some more time even higher. However, you can bypass it easily. Btw, some guys did this canoning with dog, so do not worry.. After that a vessel-boat takes you 5min further and after a 20min easy hike you get back to reception.If you choose the short trek, you go from the opposite way starting with the vessel directly to the lagoon with jumps.The attraction is beautiful and a bit expensive. The guide asked for 20$ each person for the middle trek. We got it finally for 10$. Some costs go the the guy, some to the park, some to the vessel. You could do it by yourself, without a guide. It's not that hard to approach the river. Then you just walk through it - cannot make a mistake. You must be patient and after some hour and half will get to the place with vessels. Just be careful with the jumps! BUT! Do not forget to bring some water resistant bag if you want to carry anything valuable. And of course a water. The guide would also provide you with life-vest which is really great and saves a lot of energy. All in all, I would definitely recommend this trip and also to take a guide at the park, but negotiate the price. Good thing is that the money goes to the settlement living near the river, which really cares a lot and is very poor. If you want, you can stay overnight in one of the families homestay. We did it for 100C$/person. The family was a real family, not a spoiled hostel-style family, very friendly and it doubled the value of the trip - from just another attraction to deeper understanding the river and her life today.Enjoy!

This is a must go! It's about a mile walk into the canyon. Once there, guides will row by boat to where you begin tubing inside the canyon. It's really beautiful and the water is crystal clear. Make sure you bring some cash to tip the boys that bring you thru the canyon. Also bring water and snacks!

Dont expect the Gran Canyons and you will have a good time.We did the 6 hour tour, which we recommend, as its only 12km. The shorter one would be a bit to short. The guides are great, showing of with 20m jumps.We only did 12, which was quite enough for us! Any skillevels is fine, we had people in our group that didnt jump at all.You really dont need the lifejacket, but its good if your not used to swimming. Sunscreen, snacks, a camera and 1,5L is all you need. You dont get any food on the tour, so bring snack or eat a second breakfast before going,its a long day. We did the "homestay" with the family (booked through treehuggers) which was good,but dont expect a very cultural experience, as you stay at the guides families hostel.

What a hidden gem this place is!We went with a representative from the local community (a guy named Henry) after meeting him in our hostel (Hotel Panamericano - Stay away!) and we agreed on doing the long tour (took 5 hours) for $20 including lunch at their house when we return. This didn't include the transport in a taxi though which was 25 cords ($1) per person each way. When we got to the entrance Henry introduced us to our guide, Louis, and we went on our way. The trip is a fun combination of walking, swimming and jumping off rocks. You can avoid the jumping of high rocks if you really want to. Though there is only one place where jumping is the only way forward from a height of about 1 meter. The Canyon itself is very impressive and colourful and gets narrower as you progress. The guide was really friendly, ensured our safety came first before anything else (told us where to jump and where not to), provided us with life vests (recommended for fun floating in the water), and carried a wet-bag with our cameras etc inside.We left a bag with dry cloths and other things at the house of the guides, as this is where we finish anyway and had lunch there. It is safe to leave money etc with them. Overall, we had a blast and couldn't recommend this enough!Just go and do it.