Nicaragua Rio San Juan
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.
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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.
Holidays Rio San Juan
From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.
Private Journeys
Costa Rica / Nicaragua
Active Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Rivers and volcanoes
16 days from £3,629pp
Group - Discovery
Nicaragua
Cotinga: Off the beaten track Nicaragua
18 days from £2,886pp
Classic holidays
Private Journeys
Nicaragua
Signature Nicaragua: Fire, water and revolution
10 days from £2,210pp
Classic holidays
Private Journeys
Costa Rica / Nicaragua
Signature: Best of Costa Rica and Nicaragua
12 days from £2,637pp
Things to do
We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.
Accommodation
Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.
Where to go when - our guide to 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 guidePapagaio
Your edit for Latin American inspiration
Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.
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Carrie Gallagher - Travel Consultant
A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Escorted Groups team.
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Lina Fuller - Travel Consultant
Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.
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Evie Oswald - Travel Consultant
It’s hard to believe that Evie has had time to cram so much in to her life so far. Having lived as a child in the Americas and Europe she found herself immediately attracted to Latin America.
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Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Consultant
Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.
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Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Consultant
Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.
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Hannah Donaldson - Travel Consultant
Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is an invaluable part of our Group Tours team.
