Padre Ramos Nature Preserve & Kayaking

This story was sent by Jennifer Shulzitski who is an avid traveler, adventurer, sea kayaking guide and instructor in California and Nicaragua. The photo above captures so much of the serenity and beauty of Nicaragua that I had to post her story! Thanks Jennifer! You can reach her at Ibis.Exchange@yahoo.com.

Jennifer has launched a sea kayaking tour company with the local community in Padre Ramos to explore the Estero on Day Tours, Camping Expeditions, and all-inclusive Pacific Coast Excursions into Leon, Padre Ramos, and the neighboring Nature Reserves.

"Bienvenidos a Padre Ramos Nature Reserve!
I received a traveler’s tip. “Go to the northwest coast of Nicaragua. There are few tourists, expansive coastlines, calm seas with destinations for sea kayaking and surf, and hospitality is in abundance.” (Not to mention the fresh fish!) Who am I to overlook such a welcome? And so for the last two months, I have been exploring Padre Ramos, Jiquilillo, and Volcano Consiguina. The region is so unbelievable, and I have not been disappointed once by this traveler’s tale.

On the Estero Padre Ramos, the beaches are wide open and isolated. I can sit for hours as a single, white female, and I feel completely at peace. An occasional boy screams by on a horse at breakneck speed. Or a young woman digs for clams with her bucket and her little sister, carrying their treasures home hours later for the day’s feast. The scene is slow and tranquil, creating a utopic setting for a vacation from the pressing schedules and responsibilities of our North American culture.

I understand that the people in this coastal community highly value the estuary on the eastern coast of the peninsula, where they make their livelihood subsistence fishing in small pangas and dugout canoes. The inland part of the peninsula is crucial for agriculture. These rich, volcanic soils harbor nutrients for fruit trees, gardens, pigs, chickens, and cows that wander free, leaving the Pacific beaches to be deserted. Perfect for a swim all alone in the warm Pacific blue, surrounded by only the sun, sand, and air.

In the distance, I can spot the Volcano Consiguina, which lost almost 13,000 feet in the massive eruption of 1835. It’s now a giant crater lake with hot springs in a basin so steep that jaguars, monkeys, and macaws still survive, because the destructive human race can not kill them fast enough in this steep and protected habitat.


As the afternoon sun sinks lower in the sky, I decide to launch my sea kayak to explore this vast Estero with my neighbors the white ibis, roseate spoonbills, orange-chinned parakeets, tricolored heron, and magnificent frigatebirds. An occasional hawksbill sea turtle rises to the surface to gasp for air before it returns to the respite of the cool water. I have been relying on this daily paddle to clear my head and meet the community. It’s hard to miss a bright green, closed-deck, Necky Eliza, and the fisherman don’t hesitate to come over and introduce themselves, to brag about their recent catch of the day. I feel comfortable and welcomed into this new community.

Every evening, I unwind from the exhilaration of my paddle as the electricity flickers off and on. I am told that only impending elections can bring the local and federal governments to insure the luxury of power for the people in these rural communities. But candlelight and good company is a solid substitute. I can’t tell you how many hours I have spent under a thatched roof and mangrove beam shelter, just sitting, just talking to people. It reminds me of the very small, coal towns in eastern Pennsylvania, where the porch and rocking chair constitute critical tools for communication. Politics, music, family, and neighbors are all subjects for discussion and debate in these slow, evening hours. I wonder what might happen in the United States, if we would all turn off our electricity, for just one night each week. I wonder….


I will continue this social experiment tonight in Padre Ramos. I wish you were here. Someone, anyone. I really can’t do the place justice with only words. My English is failing me as of late anyway, since my brain is cross-wired with Spanish translations. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be the one in the chair, surrounded by new friends and family at Come Pues Restaurant, Padre Ramos.

See you in Nicaragua!"

For more information about sea kayaking on the Estero in Nicaragu, you can contact Jennifer via email (Ibis.Exchange@yahoo.com), cell phone (011-505-621-2778) or visit her website, www.PointReyesOutdoors.com/Nicaragua.html.