Jinotega Views

Jinotega is a "department" (like a province) of Nicaragua, and is also the name of the capital city of the "department" of Jinotega. It is located in the north central part of the country, on the border with Honduras. It is known for several reasons, its coffee, its extravagant and lovely landscape, and as the location of the worst fighting between the Sandanistas and the Contra's during the war in the 1980's.

These enchanting photos have been contributed by Ellen Sherby (ellen.sherby@gmail.com) in Managua.

Above is the valley of Jinotega and the mountains surrounding it. To the right, Lago de Apanas, north of the city of Jinotepe.

Thank you Ellen, for allowing your photos to appear on NicaPOD!

A little more about Jinotega -- the region produces about 80% of the country's coffee, which is becoming better known in the US each year. Because of the mountains and higher elevation, this part of Nicaragua is different from other regions -- the climate is cooler and fresher, and more precipitation produces a lush, verdant landscape.

A special treat of every part of Nicaragua is of course the wonderful birdlife. Jinotega is especially renowned for birdwatching. "El Jaguar", a natural private reserve in the mountains of Jinotega, is the location of a sustainable development project that aims to protect wet tropical forest and its rich biodiversity, and focuses primarily on birding. According to the Alliance for Wildlife Areas, there are over 200 avian species in this reserve!

Has anyone reading this been to this reserve? I would like to do a more in-depth story about it and would welcome anyone's experiences or resources about "El Jaguar".