Punta Izopo National Park

Punta Izopo protects the headland east of Tela where the Lean and Plátano rivers meet the sea through mangrove. The way to see it is by kayak: the channels are narrow, shallow and quiet, and a paddle gets you in among the roots without an engine scattering everything. Howler monkeys work the canopy, caiman lie on the banks, and the bird list runs long, with kingfishers, herons and boat-billed herons among the regulars. The forest behind rises into the headland itself.

What you actually see

• The mangrove channels - narrow waterways paddled quietly by kayak.
• The birds - herons, kingfishers, boat-billed herons and a long resident list.
• The howler monkeys - troops in the canopy along the channels.
• The caiman - resident on the banks and in the shallows.

When to go

February to May is the driest period. Early morning is when the wildlife is active and the water is flat. Rain from September to January raises the rivers and clouds the channels.

Honest expectations

Kayaking is the point and it requires some fitness and balance; the trips run two to three hours. Mosquitoes and sandflies are serious in the mangrove. Trips are arranged from Tela and independent access is impractical.

Nearby

Tela is west along the coast, and Jeannette Kawas is on the other side of the bay.