Chocoyero Nature Reserve, National Parks, Tourist Attractions

The small, 41 square kilometer Chocoyero Nature Reserve is located in a narrow canyon. This protected area is just less than 28 kilometers from the town of Managua and is home to the Scandalous Chocoyo - a variety of the Pacific green parakeet. These beautiful birds make their nests on the cliffs of the canyon, near any water that may trickle down. Other birds and animals that you can see here are toucans, hummingbirds, howler monkeys, capuchins, agouti and deer. All together there are about 113 bird species, 21 types of reptiles and amphibians and 49 species of mammals.

This small paradise, which is filled with all types of wildlife, has well looked after hiking trails as well as a camping area where you can put a tent up and enjoy an evening surrounded by nature in its purest and wildest form. Chocoyero-El Brujo is one of the few reserves in Nicaragua that actually allows tourists to do this. The tropical forest you will find surrounding you is home to many species of animals and plants and are made up of moist hardwoods. While you are there, keep a look out for the tigrillos and the gatos de monte, a small cat species.

Another reason why the Chocoyero Nature Reserve is protected is that it is the main supplier of water to Managua, supplying twenty percent of the town’s water consumption and about twenty million gallons of water each and every day. The water comes from two waterfalls that flow down the cliffs of the canyon – both nearly twenty-five meters long. The one waterfall, El Brujo, falls, but instead of flowing away in a river it disappears into the earth. The other, Chocoyero, is so called because of all the parakeets that make the walls of the cliff their home.

If tenting is not your thing but you would like to stay near to the reserve, then head to Managua where you will be able to find a hotel to suit your needs. Every year over 10,000 tourists visit the small Chocoyero-El Brujo, mainly to see the rich bird life and waterfalls found here. The Reserve also provides wooden base camps where a guide can meet up with you to show you around.

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