http://www.solentiname.org

What to do with your time here

The islands are perfect for bird watching and hiking. The area is home to many species of birds and a numerous variety of flowers. This is a remote and secluded area where a slow and relaxed pace is a must. Nature and art complement each other in an exceptional way on the islands of the Solentiname Archipelago. Painters, sculptors and artisans take advantage of the serene beauty surrounding them in this natural paradise. The experience is a pleasure for the soul and body. From pre-Columbian times, it was a sacred place for the Nahautl Indians. The Indian cemeteries and religious vestiges decorated with multiple engraved petroglyphs give evidence of their history. The unique flora and fauna of the Archipelago along with its sunsets transmit harmony to every visitor.

Museo Musas

The cooperation between the archipelago’s residents and various aid agencies is crucial to determining what projects will best suit and promote Solentiname’s already rich natural resources. The museum reminds visitors that learning from the past can be a practical endeavor for the region. Out back, an arboretum is in its baby stage, not only to serve as a display but also to help understand such problems as rampant cedar growth and the short span of time in which the quickly growing balsawood is of use to the local artisans. Within the interior porch area, a traditional medicinal garden also grows, each indigenous plant labeled and corresponding to a list of remedies and benefits provided by it.

The museum’s brick-red archeology section displays petroglyphs and various pre-Columbian clay pots found in the archipelago. The islands’ rich cultural past is fabulously represented in this room, depicting the “Cueva del Duende” petroglyphs and explaining the lifestyle of the Guatuzo Indians, which inhabited the islands and the different influences that ruled their ancient world.

The next section of the museum— color-coded in blue— displays the modern Solentiname lifestyle. Again, a mural helps portray the tone of the room, depicting a sort of timeline, with the most ancient customs pictured on the left and increasingly modern events taking place on the right-hand side of the landscape.

Anything but a catalogue of the ancient, the Musas is a museum very much focused on the here-and-now. It stands as a testament of what can be done (and is being done) to enrich and celebrate all that Solentiname has to offer; and it perfectly represents the archipelago’s most wonderful assets: its people, its culture and its ecology. A trip to the Musas is a must when visiting the paradisiacal destination of Solentiname.

Museo Musas is located on the Elvis Chavarría Island on the Solentiname Archipelago and is open every day (except for holidays) from 7:30am to 12:30pm and from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.

If you would like to visit the Musas Museum, acquire more information on it or contribute to its upkeep, you can contact the project coordinators in San Carlos at (505) 283-0095 and in Managua at (505) 249-6176 or check out their website at http://www.manfut.org/museos/solentiname.html

Casa de Taller (Artist cooperative)

Just a short walk from Albergue Celentiname is the Casa de Taller. An artist co-op the Casa de Taller is an ideal place to view many artists work. The setting is up on a hill offering splendid views of Isla Carolina, Isla Venada and Isla del Amor and giving you a sense of where the artists get their inspiration. In addition to promoting Solentiname artists and selling their work the Casa de Taller also offers painting workshops and cultural exchanges for the islands youth to ensure that traditions are carried on.

Hiking

Many hikes start right from the lodge. You can circumambulate Isla Elvis Chavarria (Isla San Fernando) in about 3 hours. During your walk you will enjoy scenic views of the lake and outlying islands, a rich botanical garden of flowering trees and vines as well as wonderful tropical birds and butterflies.

Another hike will lead you to the highest point on Isla Elvis Chavarria (Isla San Fernando) and some ancient petroglyphs. Laying scattered in the underbrush these pre-columbian carvings are a reminder of our ancestors and our connection to them as well as the future.

Other island hikes include exploring Mancarrón and Mancarroncito. Both islands providing a different perspective of these magical and enchanting islands.

Fishing

The freshwater angling around the islands of Solentiname is considered the best for Rainbow Bass or Guapote. These are usually found along the shore and shallow reefs in the early morning and later in the day, trolling deep diving lures and flies between the rocky passes of the islands will produce larger fish. There are also a large numbers of Machacas and Mojarras to be caught when casting top water lures or poppers under overhanging trees or bird roosts. The water is calm in the morning and evening, but later in the day the wind usually creates rough conditions and the best fishing is only possible on the protected sides of the islands and in the bays. Guapote average 6 lbs. and are very good eating. Generally the plan is to fish in the early morning, relax or undertake other tours midday, finishing the day again with another fishing trip in the evening and watch the very beautiful sunset from the deck.

Artsans and Painters Excursions

Travel by motorized canoe or "panga" to the homes and studios of some of the many painters and artisans who live in the archipelago. Because symbolism is important in their art, many artists will explain what they had in mind on the canvas. Don't hesitate to ask questions or to discuss anything of interest. The love of the land and of painting is passed from one generation to the next. The paintings glorify the tropical rain forest and the serene lifestyle on the Solentiname Islands. You can buy paintings directly from the artist.

Day Tours around Solentiname

Pre-Colombian Petroglyophs

On a small island, La Venadaita, petroglyphs carved in the rocks at the entrance of La Cuerva add an element of mystery. They are one of the few remains of the earliest inhabitants of the islands. Little is known of these people, probably the Chichans, but similar petroglyphs are found in other area of Central America.

One of the many pre-Colombian carvings that can be found around the islands of the archipelagoes.

Mancarrón Island Circuit Tour

A slow-walking tour of the Hotel Mancarrón site and adjacent areas. Visit the local church with its decorations and paintings by "primitive" artists. The tour takes you to the artist's colony, El Refugio, (APDS) and from there to an indigenous cemetery-where you'll encounter petroglyphs, and, finally to an exceptional overlook, La Reconciliación. Half day.

Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge

The Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos protects 43,750 hectares of wetlands and rain forest. Nicaraguan biologists consider it the cradle of life for the lake, thanks to its importance as a bird nesting site and critical links in the area’s complex ecological chain. More than 12 rivers cross the reserve with the most popular wildlife-viewing river being the Río Papaturro. This pristine little river is poetic in its variable and persistent beauty. Best of all it is lined with gallery forest, the ideal situation for wildlife viewing. The banks of the river support varied vegetation and trees that are backed by open wetlands allowing light into the trees and exposing the regions rich flora and fauna.

Early in the morning we start by motorized canoe or "panga" inside the Wildlife Refuge Los Guatuzos to explore this extensive strip of protected wetlands and wildlife, bordered on the south by Costa Rica and on the north by the extreme southern shore of Lake Cocibolca. This is the only internationally registered tropical wetland area in Nicaragua. We cruise across the Great Lake Cocibolca and up the Papaturro River. We always see monkeys, crocodiles, iguanas and lizards of many types, sloths, turtles, toucans, and great white egrets-the guardians of this natural wonder.

In addition to the myriad species of animals, the area is inhabited by some 1,700 fishermen and subsistence farmers in 11 small communities, descendants of the Zapote and Guatuzo (or Maleku) peoples that originally settled here, as well as the Mestizos who arrived in the late 19th century in search of rubber trees.

The amount of wildlife (and mosquitoes) in the refuge is astounding— No less than 389 species of birds have been observed, and between February and April, tens of thousands of migratory species fly through in spectacular concentrations. Los Guatuzos contains dense populations of crocodiles, caimans, feral pigs, jaguars, and monkeys. The waters are also home to a rare, ancient species of fish called the gaspar (Actractoseus tropicus), a living, armored relic of the Jurassic age, with a snout and fangs that it uses to eat other fish, crabs, and small turtles. Twenty kilometers from Solentiname, up the Río Papaturro, the refuge’s Centro Ecológico, (e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) offers rustic rooms, plus a full list of activities, including photo/bird-watching safaris, fishing trips, horseback rides through the woods, and boat trips in the surrounding wetlands and lake. There is also an orchid display (92 species), a butterfly farm, and a turtle nursery.