Bluefields

Bluefields sits on a lagoon on the Caribbean coast and belongs to a different Nicaragua from the Pacific side: the population is largely Creole, Miskito, Garifuna and Rama, English and Kriol are widely spoken alongside Spanish, the region was a British protectorate rather than a Spanish colony, and the music, food and rhythm reflect all of that. There is no road to the city; access is by boat down the Escondido river from El Rama or by air. The month of May belongs to Palo de Mayo, a festival of drumming, dance and processions that has become the region's best-known cultural event and fills the streets for weeks. The city itself is workaday, hot and wet, with a lagoon front and a market.

History

From the early 17th century privateers used the Bluefields River as a harbour, in a land of the Kukra, Ulwa, Rama and Miskito peoples, and an English record of 14 June 1637 describes a good harbour at its mouth. In 1844 it became the administrative centre of the Kingdom of Mosquitia, the Moravian Church arrived in 1848, and from the 1860s British and American investment made it a hub of bananas, timber and shipping (Wikipedia, Bluefields).

What you'll find

• Creole Caribbean culture - language, food and music unlike the Pacific side.
• Palo de Mayo - the May festival of drumming and dance.
• The lagoon front - boats, market and the working waterfront.
• River access - the Escondido journey from El Rama.

When to go

May for Palo de Mayo, which is the reason many people come, though it falls at the start of the wet season. February to April is the driest window on this coast. Rain is heavy for most of the year.

What to expect

There is no road; travel is by boat or plane and both are weather-dependent. The city is run-down and there is little in the way of sights. It rains a great deal. Street safety warrants normal caution, particularly after dark and during festival weeks.

Nearby

Pearl Lagoon lies north; Rama Cay is in the lagoon.

Key facts