Itinerary

 Day One – Overland to La Moskitia / Raista ecolodge
 Your adventure begins with an overland route that involves a series of bus connections from Trujillo to the isolated community of Iriona (approximately 6-7 hours, depending on weather). In Iriona, you board a small boat that will take you to Palacios, your first stop in the Rio Plátano Biosphere Reserve, the largest tract of rainforest north of the Amazon. From Palacios you will board a “collectivo” or shared boat to your first destination, the Miskito community of Raista. In Raista you will spend the evening in the friendly and beautiful family-owned ecolodge of the Bodden family – one of the first local families to become involved with ecotourism in the Reserve – where the matriarch of the family, Doña Elma, will fix you the best home-cooked meal in the entire Caribbean.
   

        Day Two - Yamari Savannah Cabanas/Crocodile Spotting Tour    
   
Day two begins with a two-hour boat ride to the community of Brus Laguna. Here, you will begin a 45-minute boat ride that will take you through a series of small creeks and lagoons, and into the heart of the Great Pine Savannah. The Yamari Savannah Cabañas sit on the shore of a small translucent river and offer great swimming holes, cool breezes, and some of the best bird watching in the region.

Following a relaxing afternoon and a hearty dinner, you will get back in your pipante after dark to glide through some of the larger canals in search of caiman and crocodiles, a sky full of stars looming overhead. Visiting their dens along the river bank and using spotting lights, you will look for the red reflection of their eyes as they quietly rise to the water’s surface.
           

        Day three Boat ride to Las Marias / Traditional Miskito home visit    

Continuing on from Brus Laguna, you will travel up the mighty Río Plátano by pipante to the community of Las Marias. Considered the main ecotourism destination in La Moskitia, Las Marias has a unique cultural heritage in that it is the home to the Reserve’s smallest ethic group, the Pech Indians. A one-time nomadic tribe, the Pech have settled into a more permanent existence in Las Marias. While traveling upriver, expect to see a variety of wildlife including parrots, toucans, river turtles, and even an occasional crocodile.

En route to Las Marias you will stop at the home of a local Miskito family who have a small farm along the banks of the Rio Plátano. Stretch your legs, take a swim, and have lunch as you learn about some of the traditional agricultural techniques used by indigenous communities to raise casaba, beans, corn, and a variety of fruit.
           

        Day Four – Las Marias / River Trip to Petroglyphs        
           
Day four includes a truly unique experience.  First, you will climb into a small “cayuco” canoe to be paddled and poled further upstream from Las Marias by local nature guides.  Each minute takes you deeper and deeper into the heart of La Moskitia, and on either side of you primary rainforest rises up from the river valley.  Following a short hike along a well-maintained jungle trail, the guides will bring you to the Walpaulban Sirpi petroglyph site, located directly on the Rio Plátano.  The petroglyph is known to date back approximately 1000 years, although its origin remains a mystery.  Take a swim in the cool waters of the Rio Plátano, and warm up under the sun as you ponder the mystery of the ancient rock art.
           

        Days five, six & seven - Las MArias / Pico Dama Jungle Trek    

Probably your best chance in Honduras to see such a large variety of wildlife in such a short period of time, the Pico Dama trip takes you into some of the most pristine primary rainforest in all of Central America. This strenuous three-day trek takes you up to the magnificent Pico Dama, which at 863 meters affords you truly breathtaking views of the surrounding rainforest and Caribbean coastline. Leaving from Las Marias, travel up river in a small “cayuco”, paddled by local guides, for approximately two hours. From there you begin your trekking adventure. What begins as farmland quickly gives way to stunning secondary and primary rainforest. Exotic plant and wildlife make this a trip of a lifetime. You overnight deep in the jungle in rustic mountain cabanas, falling asleep to the symphony of the rainforest.
           

        Day Eight – Down the Rio Plátano / Belen Beach Cabanas / Miskito Cultural evening    
   
       
Day seven takes you back down the Río Plátano to the Miskito community of Belen and the Pawanka Beach Cabanas. One of most beautiful lodging options in La Moskitia, three palm-thatched cabanas sit just ten meters from the Caribbean, cooled by the gentle ocean breezes. Belen also has a lovely dining area, which is located on the edge of a small fresh water lagoon and serves as a great spot for early evening bird watching.

Following a walking tour of the friendly Miskito communities that are located along the coast, you will return to the cabanas along an endless beach as the sun sets over the Caribbean. Back in Belen the community will build a large beach bonfire for dinner. While you eat, a local women’s group will present a cultural evening of traditional Miskito songs and dancing, passed down from generation to generation.
           

        Day nine – Overland Out of La Moskitia    

An early morning boat ride from Belen will take you back to the community of Palacios, where you will board a boat back to Iriona.  Your bus ride from Iriona allows you to easily reach either Trujillo or La Ceiba this same day, wrapping up your adventure in La Moskitia!

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