Reserva El Jaguar

Overview

Description

El Jaguar is in the department of Jinotega in north-central Nicaragua, within a critical cloud forest ecosystem. It features 247 acres (100 hectares), of which 200 acres (80 hectares) are pristine cloud forest and 50 acres (20 hectares) have organic coffee certified by the OCIA and Rainforest Alliance. El Jaguar is a very interesting place for researchers because it houses Pacific as well as Caribbean bird species, and those that migrate here from the north. We also have an important confluence of birds and mammals from the highland areas of northern Central America.

The site is famous as a bird sanctuary which is why bird watching is one of the favorite activities of visitors to the reserve. It is also an established site for research and bird banding; these activities are carried out on pre-defined dates.

The reserve's cloud forests have an excellent conservation status and trails of different lengths for hiking. It also offers a sustainable coffee tour.

Rooms

• Four apartments with two double rooms, a small living room, hot water showers, a terrace, and solar-powered lighting.
• Two bungalows with one double room each, a small living room, hot water showers, a terrace, and solar-powered lighting.
• A biological station with four rooms with bunk beds for students and researchers, outdoor bathrooms with hot water, and solar energy.

Making a Difference

Number of employees: 5

Percentage of local employees: 100%

El Jaguar has become a model of sustainable production thanks to its environmental protection and social sustainability components, as demonstrated by the following:

• El Jaguar is a private reserve, officially declared by Nicaragua's Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment in 2005. It protects 100 acres (80 hectares) of cloud forest.
• The reserve produces coffee certified by OCIA as organic and certified by Rainforest Alliance as sustainable.
• Birdlife International declared it an Important Bird Area (IBA NI 15).
• All of the rooms are powered by solar energy.
• We hire local staff and support the local school in Carril.
• We sponsor scientific research, mainly in the field of ornithology.

Rates

$51 – $75

From $51 to $100. The price includes lodging, three meals, reserve entrance fee, a guided tour, and a presentation about El Jaguar.

For more information about rates, please visit:

• www.jaguarreserve.org/rates.html (available in English).
• www.jaguarreserve.org/tarifas.html (available in Spanish).

Getting There

Nearest international airport: Managua (MGA)

Distance, by land, to the nearest airport: 120 miles (190 km).

El Jaguar can be reached year-round in a 4 x 4 vehicle. For groups arriving by bus, we provide transport in a double traction vehicle for the last 1 1/4 miles (two kilometers) to the reserve.

Additional Information

Additional Web sites

• www.eco-index.org/new/stories/2009/february.cfm (available in English). Interview with Georges Duriaux, owner of the El Jaguar Private Wildlife Reserve and Organic Farm in Nicaragua, in the Eco-Index feature "Stories From the Field", February, 2009. This page is also available in Spanish.
• www.eco-index.org/search/results.cfm?projectID=1303 (available in English). More information about the Biodiversity Protection in the El Jaguar Reserve, Nicaragua on the Eco-Index. This page is also available in Spanish.
• www.jinotegalife.com/directorio/VerEmpresa/70 (available in Spanish). "From misty Jinotega, coffee for the world". Describes the range of activities available in Jinotega, including visits to the Organic Farm and "El Jaguar" Cloud Forest Reserve.
• www.vianica.com/sp/activity/91/observando-aves-en-el-jaguar (available in English and Spanish). "Bird-watching in El Jaguar". Describes the attractions of the reserve with an emphasis on bird-watching.

Date This Information Was Provided

August 2012.

Photos courtesy of Reserva El Jaguar, Nicaragua, for SustainableTrip.org.