Matagalpa Tours

Overview

Description

Matagalpa Tours specializes in taking you to the extraordinary, less explored areas of Nicaragua. The main focus is on trekking, rural community tourism, agrotourism, mountain bike tours, and jungle expeditions in northern Nicaragua. In addition, we offer complete Nicaraguan packages with a socio-economic focus that include visits to labor, women, Fair Trade, and farmer organizations. Matagalpa Tours combines your special interests or incentive programs with visits to artisan markets, colonial cities, volcanoes, islands, reserves, and tropical beaches.

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 9

Percentage of local employees: 100%

More than just a company, Matagalpa Tours is a family. More important than selling our beautiful tours of Nicaragua, our first focus is on the growth of this family and on maintaining our special work environment. We organize thematic workshops and social activities, and many clients have commented on how happy they are with the personal touches of the Matagalpa Tours family.

As a pioneer in rural tourism in Nicaragua, Matagalpa Tours has worked with many communities in northern Nicaragua to support community-based initiatives since its founding in 2005. We have supported the “Guardians of the Forest” in Peñas Blancas, coffee farmers in the community of La Corona in Yasika Sur, and weavers in the indigenous community of El Chile. We are currently supporting the La Reforma de la Fundadora cooperative in Jinotega.

Since 2009, Matagalpa Tours has collected a portion of its income in a fund for an environmental education program designed by all of its employees. The program includes educational tours and the presentation of employee-designed games, puppets, storytelling, and videos at fairs and local schools.

Three years ago, we started implementing the Agualí environmental education program aimed at young people in the area. Our activities include field tours with students and teachers from the primary schools to teach them about nature. With support from the Embassy of the Netherlands, we also created the www.aguali.net website, which offers environmental, educational, and other information to young people. We hired a person to coordinate this program.

We also strive to improve the quality of our staff, especially the tour guides, who are crucial to providing a successful trip. For several years, we have organized a dozen courses and workshops for our personnel. In 2013 we trained 30 tour guides, mainly residents of the community, in guiding techniques, thematic interpretation, and natural history (see the Videos tab).

If you want to receive more information or want to support these initiatives, please click on the orange “Contact” button above.

Matagalpa Tours is a member of Tour Operators Promoting Sustainability (TOPS), a specialized global platform of tour operators dedicated to promoting and supporting sustainable tourism in their respective markets.

Rates

Rates depend on the number of people who join a tour. All of our services can be customized to our client's wishes. For more information about rates and reservations, click on the orange “Contact” button above.

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Managua (MGA)

Travel time to nearest airport: 1.5 hours

We are located in the center of the city of Matagalpa and can be reached by public buses, taxis, private transfers, or bike.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• www.matagalpa.info (available in English and Spanish). In the northern mountain city of Matagalpa, quality Spanish classes are offered as a combination of learning Spanish, visiting surrounding sites of interest, and a home stay with a local family.

Date This Information Was Provided

December 2013.

Photos courtesy of Matagalpa Tours, Nicaragua, for SustainableTrip.org.