Peñas Blancas Massif

The Peñas Blancas massif rises to around 1,745 metres at the eastern edge of the northern highlands, a plateau ending in pale cliffs several hundred metres high down which waterfalls drop in ribbons after rain. It is part of the Bosawás biosphere buffer and carries genuine cloud forest, wet and mossy, with quetzals, bellbirds, howler monkeys and a strong amphibian list. Because it catches the moisture coming off the Caribbean lowlands it is among the wettest places in the country, which keeps the forest intact and the visitor numbers low. Community guides from the villages below run walks to the cliff base, to waterfalls and up onto the plateau, and simple lodging is arranged with families.

What you actually see

• The white cliffs - the massif wall rising above the lowland forest.
• Ribbon waterfalls - drops down the cliff face after rain.
• Cloud forest - mossy wet woodland on the plateau.
• Quetzals and bellbirds - the highland birds of the reserve.

When to go

December to April is the least wet, though rain falls in most months and is what makes the place. Waterfalls are strongest from the end of the rains into January. Quetzal breeding runs from March.

Honest expectations

It rains constantly and the trails are deep mud; boots matter. Access roads from Jinotega are rough and slow. Accommodation is basic family lodging with no hot water. Guides are compulsory and Spanish is needed. Leeches and insects are common.

Nearby

Jinotega lies west; Bosawás extends north and east.