Nicaragua Rio San Juan

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  • El Castillo
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The peaceful waterway of Rio San Juan passes through thick tropical jungle and reaches Reserva Biológica Indio Maíz, the largest nature reserve in Central America.

Overview

The beautiful 170km-long Rio San Juan marks the border with Costa Rica and runs from Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea. Strategically important, it has a hectic history of disputes and attacks from outside Nicaragua and within. The remarkable fortress at El Castillo, built by the Spanish to repel pirates (although Horatio Nelson briefly held it after capture by stealth), bears witness to that. However it’s now a peaceful waterway passing through thick tropical jungle, where efforts are being made to encourage eco-tourism. Downstream from El Castillo is the primary rainforest of the Reserva Biológica Indio Maíiz, possibly the largest nature reserve in Central America.

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Where to go when - our guide to Rio San Juan

Rio San Juan

The weather in Rio San Juan is wide and varied

The Rio San Juan is 170 kms long and marks the border with Costa Rica. Passing through thick tropical jungle it was in the past strategically important and the fortress at El Castillo was built by the Spanish to repel pirates. Now efforts are being made to encourage eco-tourism and the area is home to one of the largest nature reserves in the region.

View our Rio San Juan weather guide

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