Indio Maíz Biological Reserve

Indio Maíz covers around three thousand square kilometres of lowland tropical rainforest between the Río San Juan and the Caribbean, and it is generally reckoned among the least disturbed forests remaining in Central America, with a species list that includes jaguar, tapir, all three Nicaraguan monkey species, great green macaws and harpy eagles. There are no roads: access is by boat up tributaries from El Castillo or the river, with ranger posts and community guides from Rama and Kriol settlements on the edge. Trails run into the forest from the posts. The reserve faces steady pressure from cattle-ranching incursion along its boundaries, which is the central conservation issue and visible on the approach.

The landscape

• Undisturbed rainforest - closed canopy with very little logging history.
• Monkeys and macaws - howlers, spiders, capuchins and great green macaws.
• River access - travel by boat up creeks from the Río San Juan.
• Community guiding - Rama and Kriol guides from the boundary settlements.

When to go

December to April is drier, though this is one of the wettest parts of the country and rain falls in every month. Wildlife is more visible early in the morning. Boats depend on water levels.

Good to know

Access is genuinely difficult: boat journeys, permits and guides arranged in advance, and no facilities inside beyond ranger posts. Rain, mud and insects are constant. Large mammals are very rarely seen despite being present. Deforestation on the boundary is upsetting to see.

Nearby

El Castillo lies west on the river; San Juan de Nicaragua is downstream.

Key facts