SOMOTO CANYON

Somoto Canyon has been open to tourism since 2004, following its "discovery" by a group of Czech and Nicaraguan geologists. Its original name is Namancambre Canyon. Its existence has been well known to the local population for many years, but tourism development in the area is very recent. A true geological wonder of volcanic origin, it was formed by a fracture in the pyroclastic deposits following intense volcanic activity in the region 5 to 10 million years ago. With erosion, the canyon gradually widened, reaching a height of 150 metres at its narrowest point. The canyon is almost 6 km long, and gives rise to the Rio Coco, Central America's longest river (which flows into the Caribbean at Cabo Gracias a Dios). The waters are cool (given the high temperatures in the region, it's very pleasant), calm and shallow (no rafting possible). It's a great place for aquatic trekking, i.e. alternating walking and swimming down the river. It's open to visitors all year round, but access is sometimes restricted during heavy rains (in September and October). Many well-trained guides are available to accompany you.

Small tour: go to the canyon's main entrance, pay the entrance fee, then walk for 30 minutes; small boats are waiting to take you up the river for 300 meters. You can then swim, observe the canyon entrance (or rather exit) and jump off several large boulders.

Medium tour: this 3-4-hour tour starts upstream and runs 2.5 km downstream, with obligatory 1-meter jumps at certain points (and the possibility of jumping up to 15 meters for thrill-seekers). Note that the tour begins with a 2 km walk along a path to the river. You finally arrive at the exit of the canyon (the place described in the short tour above).

Grand Tour: allow 5-6 hours for this tour. You walk only 500 metres to reach the river, and then descend the entire canyon for 6 km.

Viewpoint Trail: If you don't feel like getting wet and/or prefer walking, we recommend this hike of around 3h. Beware, as the difference in altitude is considerable, you'll need to be in good physical condition and have good shoes, especially as the trail is quite uneven. Superb views over the canyon, especially from the three viewpoints.