Eco Tourism Opportunities

• GVCH to provide our volunteers with an unforgettable Costa Rican, Nicaraguan & Guatemala experience, one that will make you want to revisit the "Heart of The Americas" time and time again. 
•  Listed here are potential Eco-tourism opportunities that will be made available to your trip dependent on program size, itinerary, etc. 

Welcome to Granada

• Upon arrival, we will enjoy a guided journey through the historic streets of the oldest city in Central America.  
• Founded on the shore of Lake Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua) in 1524, pretty-as-a-picture Granada has been settled for over 500 years. 
• The charm of this colonial gem of a town begins in the Central Park Cathedral, a plaza framed by Moorish arcades and populated with splashing fountains, strolling ice cream vendors, and decorated horse-drawn carriages at the ready for clip-clopping along cobbled streets.  
• Around town, we find well-preserved colonial churches, homes in a full palette of tropical colors and historic mansions converted to delightful boutique hotels and fine restaurants.
• Exploring Granada by bicycle is available. A minimum of four people are required. 

• One of the most popular tours in Granada is the islets. These are a group of 365 small islands scattered about the Aseses Peninsula. 
• The islets are of volcanic origin, they were formed when the Mombacho Volcano blew much of its cone into the lake thousands of years ago, thereby creating the archipelago. 
• Most of islets are covered with vegetation. The beautiful scenery includes a lot of birdlife and astonishing views of the volcanoes Ometepe Island and Mombacho and Lake Nicaragua.
• Early in the morning or at sunset is the best time to visit the islets as you can see a lot of birds, and a colorful sky.

• Learn how to make your own chocolate bar. A minimum of two people are required. 
• The ChocoMuseo, located in one of the main streets of the city of Granada, is a destination made for all chocolate lovers. By visiting the museum, taking a chocolate workshop or making a trip to a cacao farm, national and international tourists learn about the history of chocolate, its making process and consumption.
• Inside the museum, visitors taste chocolate in its purest form, they also learn how to make a chocolate bar from a cacao seed and listen to the stories about how cacao was first used in Central America, how it got to Europe and became one of the most popular sweets around the world.
• In addition to historical information, the museum offers calorie free cacao tea and a sample of 100% Nicaraguan organic chocolate, made without artificial ingredients, preservatives or additives. The ingredients of ChocoMuseo's chocolates vary from peanuts to oranges, others have liquor, coconut, almonds, and other components.

• A dose of adrenaline is waiting for us at the Miravalle Canopy. Zip line across the treetops using the most advanced high-angle equipment and technology.  
• Miravalle Canopy have more than 2 kilometers, 17 platforms, 11 cables and 3 hanging bridges, in an amazing forest where you can admire all the beauties of the Mombacho Volcano, the Tarzán swing and a thrilling vertical rappel descent.
• The equipment and structures used in this tour are the best in the industry and continuously monitored for your safety.
• The staff love entertaining students ... a very memorable experience!

• The Masaya Volcano National Park comprises an area of 54 km and includes two volcanoes and three craters. The volcanoes have erupted several times in history, and were feared by both the indigenous people and the Spanish conquerors.  The Spanish baptized the active Masaya Volcano “La Boca del Infierno" or “The Mouth of Hell".  They planted a cross, “La Cruz de Bobadilla (named after Father Francisco Bobadilla), on the crater lip in the 16th century in order to exorcise the Devil.
• The eruptions have had a dramatic impact on the surroundings. Rocks and volcanic ashes still cover the area surrounding the volcanoes. The nature is rough yet peaceful. Different types of vegetation appeared after the eruptions. The park is also inhabited by many different kinds of animals. The park wildlife includes coyotes, skunks, raccoons, opossums, deer, iguanas, and monkeys.

• This village of nearly 6,000 people sits upon deep deposits of clay that were laid down by volcanic activity in the distant past. San Juan is well known for its art work and has been a pottery center since pre-Colombian times. Today, this village is home to many family run workshops and a pottery cooperative where a well-recognized style of pottery is being produced. 
• In early times, two tribes from southern Mexico settled in the area after Aztecs forced them from their homeland. It is perhaps from these early immigrants into the region that the pottery making tradition was introduced, or perhaps it existed here even prior to this time. The best we can tell is that the pottery making tradition of the area has been around since at least 500 BC.  Archeological sites throughout Nicaragua have uncovered pottery, used in daily cooking and eating as well as funerary vessels, dating back over 2000 years. Of course, the exact origins of the local pottery making tradition are lost in time.
• Now it is time to turn the wheel! Pottery class available in one of the most popular workshops.

• Catarina is one of the highest hills surrounding the Apoyo Lagoon, and the view from there is superb. You can see the whole lagoon as well as Lake Nicaragua behind it and admire Mombacho Volcano, which borders the lake.
• The Catarina viewpoint is a popular place among Nicaraguans during weekends, when families and friends gather here to enjoy the view, grab a bite in one of the restaurants, or have a look through one of the telescopes. These visitors attract salesmen and singers who wander around trying to sell their products or songs. 
• The atmosphere still is quite relaxing during the weekend though, and if you really prefer to be here when there are only few people around you can simply go there during weekdays.  
• Catarina is also known for its fertile soil and it is a hotspot of nurseries. There are many small outdoor shops where trees, plants, palms, and other garden-material is being sold. 

• Mercado de Artesania, also known as Mercado Viejo, is Nicaraguas most famous market and a major tourist draw. The entire block is a hive of stalls where you find the highest-quality arts and crafts in the country. It has a friendly setting and lots of small stands with souvenirs that are not very different but that do offer enough variety to find your "Nica" souvenirs for everybody back home.  
• Many vendors speak English and almost all are willing to negotiate on their prices. Some of the more outstanding pieces found at National Artisan Market in Masaya are as follows: hammocks, hammock chair made with cotton-poly fabric and cedar, primitive paintings, pottery, exotic wood craft and among others.

• To protect the city of Masaya against the invading armies of North America, President Zelaya commissioned the construction of the El Coyotepe Fortress in 1893. 
• From this strategic location Zelaya’s men could see the invading forces approaching. This fortress was later refurbished by the ruling Somoza regime, which added a dungeon to the fortress to serve as a jail for their political prisoners. 
• It has been documented that well over eight hundred prisoners were held at the fortress at one time, and walking through the dungeons is an eerie experience. 
• Here, visitors will be able to experience the darkness and fear that would have been felt by the prisoners as there are barely any, and in some cases no, sources of light; and torture chambers were also discovered in the dungeons. 
• The dungeons of the El Coyotepe Fortress continued to be used as a prison even through the Sandinistas reign, but were eventually handed over to the care and use of the Boy Scouts.

• Nicaraguan cuisine includes a mixture of indigenous Native American cuisine, Spanish cuisine, and Creole cuisine. Despite the blending and incorporation of pre-Columbian and Spanish-influenced cuisine, traditional cuisine differs on the Pacific coast from the Caribbean coast. While the Pacific coast's main staple revolves around beef, poultry, local fruits, and corn, the Caribbean coast's cuisine makes use of seafood and coconut.

Traditional Dishes You Will Learn To Cook and Taste in Nicaragua

• Gallo Pinto.  Much more than rice and beans, gallo pinto is a national dish that Nicaraguans can happily eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The name translates as "spotted rooster", and to live up to its name gallo pinto is typically made of red beans, white rice, and diced onions that are fried together in a large skillet with some of the water that the beans were boiled in to give the mixture a reddish tinge. On the Atlantic coast and Nicaragua’s Caribbean islands the beans, rice, and onions are fried in coconut oil, or with a splash of coconut milk to make them extra creamy. Nicaraguans joke that the country runs on gallo pinto power. 
• Tortilla time! This is a class on how we make tortillas in Nicaragua. Tortillas are pretty much an all time basic starch just like rice. In Nicaragua however not everyone makes them at home but there are "tortilla shops"! Technically these are folks that sell tortillas for a living, most of them being women. They start rather early in the morning as tortillas are most popular to go along with breakfast, some also sell in the evening when people have dinner.

• You will be able to enjoy a very happy and relaxing time learning in a dynamic and interactive way the Nicaraguan folk dance of the Caribbean and Pacific rhythms.
• You can also wear the typical costumes of the National folklore.
•  Dance classes are taught and directed by professionals who have excelled in different groups of high national prestige.

As a part of the experience we are taking you to ¨Jueves de Verbenas¨

• ¨Jueves de Verbena' is a cultural event that takes place every Thursday in Masaya. There are folkloric dances, there is music, and there is traditional Nicaraguan food. This weekly spectacle takes place in the Centro Cultural Antiguo Mercado de Masaya, also known as the Old Market or the Artisans Market.

• This event starts at 7.30 PM and ends in general around midnight.

• In this center professional or amateur folkloric dancing groups from throughout Nicaragua present different types of traditional Nicaraguan dances: mazurka, palo de mayo, the güegüense dance, and more. Those dances are the result of a mix between ancient dancing techniques and European and indigenous rhythms. The performers are always dressed in clothes that traditionally go with their dances.

• Besides the dancing, there is also music. There are performances of Nicaraguan singers and players. This cultural show is completed by food stands and restaurants who offer typical Nicaraguan meals and snacks.