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12 day Cultural student trip (15 - 25 students)
Day1: Arrive Airport pick-up 50 minute drive to Granada.
Meet host-families, settle in. Welcome at the cultural center of Granada.
Summary: After collecting our bags and people, we leave Managua heading for old
Granada. Along the way we will pass small ranches, smoking volcanoes, ancient
forts, busy factories and craftsmen. The road is busy with bicycles, cows,
horses, trucks and commuters with plenty of potholes thrown in just to keep you
awake. We travel carefully with the tropical radio station “Pachanguerra”
reminding us we’re not in “Kansas” any longer. Upon arrival in Granada we meet
host families and settle -in.
Day2: (Morning) Group one, Canopy and Coffee farm tour. Group two,
tortilla-making, horse and buggy tour of Granada. (Afternoon) Visit to local
grade school. (Evening) With host family or cultural event.
Summary: Certain activities are more rewarding in smaller groups! Group one will
four wheel drive up the slopes of Mombacho Volcano Reserve for a rustic canopy
tour adventure. The pristine canopy tour location produces some of Central
America’s best coffee while providing spectacular views of the isthmus. Group
two, under the guidance of Granada’s tortilla family, will be creating their own
adventure by turning corn mush into tortillas, along the way they will explore
all of Granada’s great historic neighborhoods by way of horse and buggy.
Afternoon School visit: Colegio San Pablo, located on Plaza Central, the school
occupies one of the oldest buildings in all of Latin America. Run mostly on
donations, this traditional Catholic school provides a safe and caring learning
environment for working class Granadinos families. After the Nicaraguan
Government could no longer fund its public schools, many families looked to
private institutions for a better education opportunity. San Pablo is very open
to receiving visiting students, many fun activities will be offered to integrate
visiting students into the local high school.
Day3:( Morning) Group two, Canopy and Coffee farm tour, Group one Tortilla-
making horse and buggy tour of historic Granada. (Afternoon) Visit to grade
school after school program,
Afternoon School visit: Caritas Feliz is a non-profit after school program that
provides enriching activities for grade school kids who may or may not be in
school. The program provides meals, tutoring, dance and music, arts and crafts,
and organized sports. The program is like one big family and promotes positive
self -image in children who have little or no family support. The center’s
relaxed and fun atmosphere makes it a very popular among local kids. This is one
of our favorite locations for visiting students.
Day4: (Morning) Island school tour, (afternoon) time permitting- soccer or dance
class,
Summary: Today we board our trusty banana boats for an excursion on the great
Lake Nicaragua with a visit to one of Granada’s island grade schools, La
Esperanza. During the island journey we will look into Granada’s mysterious past
of gold, Caribbean pirates, ancient Indian tribes, island of death, island of
jaguars, man-eating sharks, and American mercenaries. We will learn from local
students how they survive on the islands and engage in fun student to student
activities on an island the size of a basketball court.
Day 5: (Morning) Ceramic and bamboo arts villages. (Evening) Planned activity
Summary: Today we take a road trip (20 min. drive) to a nearby village for an
intimate experience with some of Latin America’s great ceramic artists. We won’t
be just shopping! We will see the artists at work, we will get dirty and work
the clay ourselves, visit the homes and families, see how they work together,
strolling through friendly neighborhoods, eating local foods, exploring small
villages at a relaxing pace. Full day!
Day 6: Final day activities in Granada!
Planned activities include school dance and cultural show, plus farewell
activities with host families.
Day7: (Morning) Depart Granada 11:00am for Domitila Rainforest Reserve,
(approx.40 min drive time)
Domitila Reserve is dedicated to conserving the wildlife and flora of one of the
last remaining remnants of dry tropical forest on the Pacific coast of Central
America. The facilities and programming are designed to offer low-impact
ecotourism, scientific investigation and environmental education, and to promote
the sustainable development of communities around the reserve.
Summary: After we settle into our bamboo hut we head up to the main dining hall
(another bamboo hut) and enjoy a wonderful “jungle” cooked lunch. (Afternoon)Includes
a light hike or horseback trail riding, Evening bug collecting and night hike
with local biologists, the next morning we will explore butterfly diversity with
a catch and release study organized by Nicaragua’s top entomologist. The reserve
contains monkeys, parrots, kinkajous, tropical birds, sloths, anteater’s and of
course many creepy reptiles. The reserve is an important migratory bird habitat
for many North American species. Plenty of time to take easy hikes on your own
or just sit and wait for Nicaragua’s national bird the colorful blue motmot.
Day8 (Morning) Butterfly catch and release, after lunch depart for Montilmar
Pacific beach (approx. 90 min drive time) arrival time 3:00pm.
Check into Montelimar Beach and chill out!
Day 9: Montelimar Beach, all day
Summary: Beach, beach and more beach! Explore the warm pounding surf or hide
from the sun along the breezy palm-lined shore. You can play as hard as you want
or find your own private “do not disturb” hammock. Beautiful grounds and breath
taking ocean views. Hike a couple miles down the beach, or take a plunge off a
bridge into Central America’s biggest pool. All kinds of activities including,
jacuzzi, horse-back riding, boogie boarding, volleyball, soccer,, kayaking,
basketball, three pools, ping-pong, Latin music and dance. All you can eat and
drink.
Day 10: Montelimar Beach all day
One more day on the beach, how will you stand it!
Day 11: Morning departure 9:00am for Masaya open market (approx. 90min drive).
(Afternoon) Explore Masaya Volcano National Park.
Summary: Visit to a hammock making export business and Masaya arts and craft
market, many well priced hand-made goods in colorful market place. After lunch
we head for the Masaya Volcano, hike the crater or marvel at the green parrots
who withstand the smoke to nest in the crater walls. Our last stop is the modern
capital city of Managua, where we make a short stop at the Plaza de Revolution
and Managua lake. Hotel overnight.
Day 12: Early morning return departure
This is a general itinerary, there will be some changes made as we coordinate
activities with schools and incorporate cultural events that will occur during
your stay. We also expect to add a few surprises, that we cannot confirm at this
time. We always look for new
activities and unique excursions. Since starting in 1998 we have never repeated
the same program. We look forward to making your class trip a unique experience
to Nicaragua.