chocoyero-el brujo natural reserve

We were expecting to see a lot more variety of wildlife here, obviously lots of parakeets and parrots, but not much other birds. Saw some howler monkeys, and the road to the reserve was pretty rough !!

Beautiful hike to get a feel for the Nicaraguan countryside. Small pavilion area with descriptive panels at the parking area. There are 3 loops to hike- each fairly flat and well-marked. Go late in the afternoon (4:30-5pm) to see the parakeets coming back to roost for the night in the cliffs.

I posted our Chocoyero experience on my blog, but here's a rundown: Hubby & I were in Managua when a former firefighter from Canada talked us into joining her in Chocoyero for a couple of days or so. A local taxi took us on a jarring, pothole-filled ride up, maybe an hour. We're the only overnight guests in the 455 acre forest. After a steep three tiered climb, we took the bungalow and Gerda had the bunkhouse. Our cabin light blew out twice, so we used headlamps. We had cold water, so there was no wasting of time in the shower. Gerda had light, but just a trickle of a shower. With the two screen-less windows shut at night, it was pitch dark. The cabin could have used a really, really good cleaning, but since the reserve is operated by (wilderness) men, that's not going to happen. You need to understand, too, that they are volunteers who get paid ONLY when visitors come. Life in the forest is hard. (Tour companies bring in daytime visitors and that's different.) The hammock was pretty. I asked and they climbed up, wrapped and tied the ends. Alan's our guide for the morning, evening and 5-hour hikes. He went home each night after our dinner and two others kept watch overnight. Alan's English was good enough that we communicated reasonably well. Each day, Alan's mother would cook our meals. Each and every meal had beans, rice and plantains, the local staples. Breakfast would include a couple of boiled eggs. Dinner would have a small piece of meat added. The only thing that would change would be the plantains ... boiled, crispy, mashed, etc. After Alan took us to meet his mother so we could thank her for the meals, we realized how much effort it took to provide extra items like eggs and meat that are costly and probably difficult to get in the jungle-like forest. Chocoyero is named after the green Pacific Parakeets that populate the forest. Each morning and evening, Alan would lead us to the waterfall(s) to be amazed at the hundreds (dare I say thousands?) of chirping birds roosting in holes in the limestone walls. We peeked in a few holes after the birds had left and there were crickets too. Alan was so dedicated to making sure we saw the beauty of his forest. I think of it as a jungle, with long, trailing vines and lush foliage. He had a book of birds that was consulted frequently. We saw howler monkeys, an owl eye butterfly, birds, a young owl and so many interesting plants and insects that make up the teeming life of the woodlands! My husband and Gerda went on a 5-hour hike with Alan and his father. It was a pretty steep and active hike as they strung rope from tree to tree. I was told L. slipped at times and would swing in space before getting his footing. There was an even steeper trail up, but L. didn't think he could hike it, so they came back in 5 instead of 6 hours. He dragged in, bruised and bleeding. Gerda bounced in, all dimpled smiles and full of energy. Me? I'd swung in the hammock until I was motion sick, climbed down and sat in the rocker writing in my journal. Later, walked down to work on a puzzle and charge my phone. Gerda was taking a 2-week bike tour through Central America later in the week and had brought school supplies for the tour's charity. Instead, we threw in a donation and took all the supplies down the road to the elementary school outside the reserve. Gerda also passed out Canadian flag pins! If you have the chance, please visit Chocoyero. You'll need to contact the reserve as early as possible if you plan to stay there. It may take some time for them to email you back, but it's worth it. You'll learn a lot with Alan and you'll be helping a country that can use all the help it can get!

Chocoyero is not far from Managua, but we decided to spend one night in a log cabin that they rented out for just $20. We did not expect very much, felt it would be good to support a local ecotourism cooperative, and came prepared for any circumstance. We were glad we tried the place out because we had much fun.There were two log cabins over a bit steep climb from the reception area. The cabins were solar powered and had some light all night. They have removed (or not replaced) bulbs from the bathroom and the porch. I have the feeling that these cabins are hardly rented out and therefore they do not have much incentive to maintain them. The floor was not 100% clean, and the faucet in the sink gave only a trickle of water although the shower worked fine. There must be some junk in the drain because water did not flow after a shower. Water was freezing cold. The bed was rather sturdy (with a small mosquito net attached, though there were no mosquitoes inside that night) and they even provided some linen and a towel. There was a leaning chair, a small cabinet with drawers, and a small table inside the cabin. We even saw a hammock that can be hanged, but we did not see any hooks anywhere to hang it.The reception area is maintained by the members of one family (or the extended family) and they lived down there close to the reception area. So, local food could be ordered if you so wished. We had come prepared with our camping gear, some food and even camping chairs. So, we could make ourselves quite comfortable on the cabin porch. Towards the sunset it was so nice to hear bird songs from all different directions and a concert of howler monkeys faraway. There also were fireflies in the bush lighting up the dark evening. Then there was a short shower to cool down the temperature. When darkness fell all sounds, except those of crickets’, abated. It was so nice to have the feeling of being in a forest so close to the capital city.We had a peaceful sleep and woke up ready for our early morning 3-hour hike.It would have been nicer if the local cooperative could maintain these cabins, but since we had everything we wanted we had a very nice evening in the bush. It really beats listening to loud music and fireworks in Managua.

My wife and I visited in September 2013. The attractions at the Reserve are the Green Parakeets and the Red Eyed Frogs. The Green Parakeets nest in the wall adjacent to the waterfall. The ride into the Reserve is bumpy but there are things to see going in along the way (mostly farms). The hike to the waterfall is nice maybe 40 minutes. We went in the middle of the day. The Parakeets leave in the morning and return at night. Even though it was the middle of the day there were still maybe 15 pairs flying around and nesting in the walls. Great to see. We looked for the Red Eyed Frog by the Reserve entrance. We did not see any frogs but saw their eggs. It is worth a try because the frogs are very colorful. A nice half day visit.

About 40 minutes of a rather bumpy and narrow road, but well worth the jolts to see the parakeets returning to their nests in the evening.

La bella Reserva Natural El Chocoyero-El Brujo está situada a medio camino entre Managua y Masaya, en el municipio de Ticuantepe. El tramo final del camino de acceso no está en muy buen estado para vehículos. La entrada para residentes tiene un coste de cuarenta córdobas y el parque está abierto entre las cinco de la mañana y las cinco de la tarde.El paseo por la reserva, que contiene senderos de distinta longitud y dificultad, transcurre en permanente contacto con la verde y espesa vegetación y en un silencio solo roto por los chocoyos o los monos congo. Uno tiene la impresión de encontrarse muy lejos de la ciudad por la tranquilidad que transmite el lugar.El sendero más corto conduce a la bonita cascada de El Chocoyero. Uno de los otros atractivos es admirar, a primera hora de la mañana o al caer la tarde, la sonora multitud de chocoyos que anidan en una enorme pared contigua a la cascada. Es posible acampar en la reserva.