4 Day Hiking and Horse Riding Holiday in the Reserva Natural Miraflor

Facilities

On this holiday, you can have a full-day horseback riding session or also two half days (for persons who are not so accustomed to riding). Finca Lindos Ojos can also combine hiking and walking (including flora and fauna observation). Riding instructions are available for beginners who would like to learn.

The horses are the pride of the owner. She has always taken good care of them. Hence, for those who cannot ride a horse, the owner will be giving an explanation on the care of the horse, its characteristics, and the way of correct and indicated behavior with them. She will also teach you how to ride.

Finca Lindos Ojos also offers hikes:

• One to three hours in the cloud forest, on a trail on their own grounds with a guide to watch flora and fauna and explaining their organic agriculture
• A coffee tour in their coffee plantations (explaining the cultivation of the organic coffee from the seed to the harvest procedures until the coffee bean gets roasted and into the cup)
• Explore the cloud forest, climb the huge hollow killer fig, and be accompanied by an expert for birdwatching or orchid watching (expert receives extra payment not included to the price).

Itinerary

Option 1

Day 1

After your arrival, you will have lunch followed by a hike over the farm and cloud forest in the afternoon (one and a half hours) for orientation in the high zone of Miraflor and explanation of organic agriculture.

The guide will lead the visitor through the small and diverse property to explain about:

• Small cattle with the production of milk and cheese
• Organic cultivation of vegetables
• Poultry
• Maintenance and conservation of the cloud forest and the prevention of soil erosion
• Alternative energies like water (local pipe system) and solar energy

Afterwards, you will have dinner

Day 2

After your breakfast, you will have a horse riding session for the whole day with a packed lunch. In small groups of not more than five people (including your guide), you will ride towards the semi-dry zone of Miraflor. You will meet again with many species of birds, some that you already saw in the height, but others which prefer the warm climate will also join. The lower region is also more open, so you can see better and find hawks, falcons, caracaras, blue jays, water birds, etc.

The “old beards”, as the locals call the moss, are hanging from the oak tree. They are impressive and causing a mysterious atmosphere. Then, you will reach a beautiful lookout point where you can take your first rest while enjoying the marvellous view into the mountains and valleys of northern Nicaragua.

Continuing the ride through oak forests and farmland, you will arrive at the cascade, leave the horses to rest in the shade, and step down to the place where the crystalline river falls in a cascade in a natural pure rock swimming pool. There, you can rest and contemplate the romantic landscape of a swimming pool in the middle of the forest.

It is possible to swim in the fresh waters and to play with the currents of the cascade. You will replenish your energy for the return with a nice picnic, which includes sandwiches, tortillas, and cheese, coffee and water, all brought from Finca Lindos Ojos. Afterwards you start ascending way back to the farm. Lastly, you will have dinner.

Day 3

After breakfast, you will hike on the cloud forest trail. On the different trails, you can explore the cloud forest and get explanations about flora and fauna, ecological systems, medical plants, protection from erosion and conservation of waters, and observation of the birds on the Finca Lindos Ojos property.

The trails will take you through the cloud forest with its impressive plants and trees. Additionally, the killer fig tree can be climbed on the inside and outside. Afterwards, you will have your lunch at the farm, followed by an afternoon coffee tour. On the grounds of the Finca Lindos Ojos (30 hectares), the owner explains the process of production of coffee from seed to tree in the coffee plantation, from its maintenance, harvesting, processing the coffee bean until the arrival in the cup. You can try the organic and non-organic coffee and get to know the differences. Then, you will end your day with dinner.

Day 4

Early in the morning, you can accompany the farm worker, to observe and learn about cow milking, followed by breakfast. You are free to relax on the farm, go birdwatching, and go for a hike on your own. You will then have lunch before you leave to travel.

Option 2

Day 1

After your arrival and lunch, you will hike over the farm and cloud forest in the afternoon (one and a half hours) for orientation in the high zone of Miraflor and explanation of organic agriculture.

The guide will lead the visitor through the small and diverse property to explain about:

• Small cattle with the production of milk and cheese
• Organic cultivation of vegetables
• Poultry
• Maintenance and conservation of the cloud forest and the prevention of soil erosion
• Alternative energies like water (local pipe system) and solar energy

Afterward, you will have dinner.

Day 2

After breakfast, you will have a three-hour horse riding session. In small groups of not more than five people (including the guide), you will ride towards the semi-dry zone of Miraflor. You will meet again with many species of birds, but others which prefer the warm climate will also join. The lower region is also more open, so you can see better and find hawks, falcons, caracaras, blue jays, water birds, etc.

The “old beards”, as the locals call the moss, are hanging from the oak tree. They are impressive and cause a mysterious atmosphere. Then, you will reach a beautiful lookout point where you can take your first rest while enjoying the marvellous view into the mountains and valleys of northern Nicaragua.

On the way back, you will stop at a cooperative property, El Orquideario, and will have a look at the installations as well as its orchid rescue project. Then, you will have lunch, followed by an afternoon coffee tour. On the grounds of the Finca Lindos Ojos (30 hectares), the owner explains the process of production of coffee from seed to tree in the coffee plantation, from its maintenance, harvesting, processing the coffee bean until the arrival in the cup. You can try the organic and non-organic coffee and get to know the differences. Then, you will end your day with dinner.

Day 3

After breakfast, you will have another horse riding session. In the morning, you will take the ride through oak forests and farmland down to the cascade. You will leave the horses to rest in the shade and step down to the place where the crystalline river falls in a cascade in a natural pure rock swimming pool.

There, you can rest while contemplating the romantic landscape of a swimming pool in the middle of the forest. It is possible to swim in the fresh waters and to play with the currents of the cascade. On the way back, you will have a very pretty route uphill through small rivers, farms, and forests where you can contemplate the landscape of “La Caldera” or the boiler, a bowl-shaped valley. Then, you will be back to the farm for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will take a hike in the cloud forest trail to the hollow tree. On the different trails, you can explore the cloud forest and get explanations about flora and fauna, ecological systems, medical plants, protection from erosion and conservation of waters, and observation of the birds on the Finca Lindos Ojos property. The trails will take you through the cloud forest with its impressive plants and trees. Additionally, the killer fig tree can be climbed on the inside and outside. Afterward, you will end your day with dinner.

Day 4

Early in the morning, you can accompany the farm worker, to observe and learn about cow milking, followed by breakfast. You are free to relax on the farm, go birdwatching, and go for a hike on your own. You will then have lunch before you leave to travel.

You will enjoy two days of hiking.

This holiday will take place around Fincas Lindos Ojos, Nicaragua. It is located in Reserva Natural Miraflor, in the misty mountains of the northern highlands of Nicaragua, northeast of Estelí. The property is rich in ferns and orchids, wild animals, and hundreds of bird. It is surrounded by the lush cloud forest in the upper regions of the mountains. It is an area with steep slopes and heights up to 1,450 meters.

+−

Finca Lindos Ojos has changed their way of service due to the pandemic, they do not serve meals anymore. They built a kitchen where people can cook their own food. People can eat the veggies from the farm and also buy at the next shop which is only a 10-minute walk away. For more information, please send an inquiry.

• Baking tortilla
• Helping to pick coffee (from December to March only)
• Making cuajada cheese (the typical fresh cheese)
• Swimming in a natural pool in the forest

• 1 to 2 half days of horse riding
• 2 days of hiking
• 1 coffee plantation tour
• Daily maid service
• 24-hour service of the staff
• 3 nights' accommodation

• Bird and orchid expert (20 USD)
• All meals

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 14% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.