Day 1

Your flight arrives in Managua Airport where you will be greeted by your bilingual guide and private transportation.  We’ll head directly to the Eco Lodge at Finca Java, Jinotega located on Lake Apenas (3hrs). This is a working organic coffee farm. The drive takes us into the Nicaraguan Highlands and gives us an opportunity to see some of Nicaragua’s striking countryside. The Eco Lodge is a converted barn split into rustic double rooms with private bath and hot showers. The adjacent kitchen and dining room afford us panoramic views of the lake.

Depending on our arrival time, we’ll enjoy a delicious lunch or snack at the Eco Lodge. Finca means farm in Spanish and although we are primarily a coffee farm, our lakeside location allows us to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs you’ll enjoy at every meal. And there’s always room for a cup of our delicious coffee.
After we’ve settled into our rooms and had a bite, the farm staff will orient us and take us on a guided tour of the coffee plantation. We’ll learn about the history and day to day operations of the farm as well as learning about organic permaculture. We’ll finish with a visit to our onsite coffee mill (Total tour: approx. 2 hrs).
After the tour we’ll head back to the porch of the Eco Lodge to enjoy a beautiful sunset and a delicious meal. We’ll finish our evening reviewing the trip itinerary and sharing our first impressions. For those who aren’t ready to hit the hay, we have a wide variety of games to enjoy together.

Accommodations at Eco-Lodge at Finca Java

Day 2

We’ll start our day with breakfast at the Eco Lodge and put on our walking shoes. Get ready for a day of service. Having seen the farm yesterday, today we’ll get to know the wider community of “Los Robles”.

As our walking tour ends and our work begins we’ll have the unique opportunity to work at the local school. There are few resources available to maintain the most basic of school supplies.  We’ll help by repairing desks and seeing what a school day looks like in Northern Nicaragua.

We’ll return to The Eco Lodge for lunch and then return to the school. Later we’ll have an opportunity to talk to some of the teachers and administrators and learn about their experiences. Depending on the weather we may have a chance to enjoy a community game of baseball or soccer before returning to the Eco Lodge for dinner and a relaxing evening following our day.  Our in-house coffee expert will share with us the differences between different farms and plantations and the effects of organic production in the coffee trade.

Accommodations at Eco Lodge

Day 3

After breakfast at the Eco Lodge, we’ll be visiting a dry coffee mill or Beneficio Seco in Matagalpa. This is the next step in how coffee gets to market. Following a 45 minute travel time, we’ll enjoy an in-depth tour of the machinery, science, and skill involved in this part of the coffee production process. We’ll see the machinery, talk to those involved in the process, and learn about the beans. For many, the highlight of this 2 hour tour, will be the coffee cupping. Cupping is the art of discerning coffees flavors and learning to tell the great from the alright.  We’ll experience all of the stages and qualities and hopefully leave with a greater appreciation and understanding of coffee.

We’ll return to the Eco Lodge for lunch. Following lunch we’ll learn about the important role composting plays in coffee production and experience a little of what the farm workers do to maintain healthy organic compost. We will be joined by an international expert, himself the owner of a small farm in the region, who will further educate us as to the history of coffee culture in the area and the world.

We’ll finish our afternoon with a little leisure time. We’ll have our choice of boating on the lake, fishing by the lake shore or a guided walk on our trails. If you would like you can just relax and enjoy the view and a delicious cup of coffee. We invite everyone to take a moment and enjoy their last sunset here at the Eco Lodge.
After dinner, we invite you to relax, play games or instruments and prepare for the next day’s trip to Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.

Accommodations at Eco Lodge

Day 4

After breakfast at the Eco Lodge, we’ll say our goodbyes and head south in private transportation. We’ll bypass Managua and stop at Café Las Flores’ Hacienda “El Progreso”. We’ll hear from the owner, who will explain to us the guiding principles of his business and how he strikes a balance between community and profit. This is a different variety of coffee from a much lower altitude. Following our visit, we’ll board our transport and go to San Juan del Sur, located on Nicaragua’s beautiful Pacific coast.
Once in San Juan del Sur, we’ll get everyone settled in their home stays. All of these local families are proud ambassadors of Nicaraguan culture and hospitality. They take great pride in opening their homes to you. Your comfort and safety are of the utmost importance to them. San Juan is a warm part of Nicaragua and all of your rooms will be equipped with fans. The showers here are not equipped with hot water. All of your homes have purified water and ice. Let us know ahead of time about any dietary restrictions so your time with your family can be comfortable. This evening you’ll enjoy dinner with your new families.

Afterwards, we’ll regroup and see a 45 presentation about the various facets of Comunidad Connect, your local host organization. You’ll learn more about us, our mission and our projects.

This will be followed by a walking tour of San Juan del Sur. This picturesque fishing village was once considered to be the alternative to what is now the Panama Canal. Mark Twain deemed it ‘the route forever’ and Cornelius Vanderbilt considered it to be an essential side for a Pacific opening to a water route during the California Gold Rush.
Although fishing is still the occupation of many, tourism has surpassed it as the principal industry of the town of less than 20,000 inhabitants.
We’ll learn a little about the town’s history and a lot about how to best enjoy the jewel of the Nicaraguan Pacific Coast.

Accommodations at Home stay

Day 5

Following breakfast in your home stays we’ll enjoy an hour of Spanish class before we move onto the Women’s collective symposium.  This event will take place in El Carrizal a rural community located to the south of San Juan and home of “Condimentos Carrizal”, a women’s collective that makes jam. They will be joined by 3 other women’s collectives who will share with us their knowledge and experience. We’ll hear from each group and have an opportunity to make purchases. The women's’ testimonials will be translated into English. After a question and answer session we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch.

After lunch we will teach a community English class to young people aged 4 to 24. The diverse ages and needs of these young people make visits from larger groups a boon. The lead teacher will provide all materials and lesson plans. After the class we’ll enjoy a dip in a pool and have a barbecue supper.  

In the evening there will be a panel discussion by local businesses and community leaders concerning the implication that tourism has had on local culture and the local economy

Accommodations at Home stay

Day 6

Today we enjoy some of San Juan del Sur’s tourist offerings.

In the morning we offer surf lessons and a chance to see one of our beautiful local beaches. You can take the lesson or just take it easy. Your instructors are local surfers who are national and international champions. Boards and rash guards are provided. Take your time. More experienced surfers can bypass the lesson and head right into the water. If you would prefer you can try a Canopy Tour or take the time to schedule a decadent coconut oil massage.

Any of these activities are bound to leave you ravenous so we’ll head to our homes for lunch.

After lunch we want to spend time on the ocean. We have 2 incredible options. The first is a sailing trip along our beautiful coast.  You’ll enjoy a luxurious afternoon of munching and imbibing as well as a little beach time.  The coast is gorgeous and depending on the season there is always the chance of seeing dolphins, sea turtles, whales, and amazing displays by the avian wildlife. If a more active ocean experience is what you seek we can arrange fishing trips in local flat bottomed boats called pangas. You’ll have an opportunity to fish for mahi-mahi, grouper, and a wide variety of species of tuna. Sport fishing is no laughing matter and if you catch it, you can have it prepared at a local restaurant.
Tonight we dine out, savoring the classic beach cuisine at El Timon, a family restaurant with a 30 year history of succulent seafood and delicious chicken and beef.

Accommodations at Home stay

Day 7

After breakfast we once again say good bye and board our transport to colonial Granada. One of the oldest colonial cities, this tourist Mecca is the home to a tremendous number of historical and natural wonders as well as being the home to some of the most innovative non-profit work in Nicaragua. On our way to Granada we’ll visit Coyotepe, first a fort to protect Masaya and later a prison, it is now maintained by the Boy Scouts of Nicaragua. An important part of the rich history of Nicaragua as well as a reminder of how history is not the distant past.

After Coyotepe, we head to Granada. We’ll sample local cuisine for lunch, leave our bags at our hotel and head to the Central Square and Tio Antonio, an amazing non-profit that makes hammocks. The hammock making provides jobs and teaches skills to young people, individuals with special needs, and single mothers. We’ll have an opportunity to talk to Tio Antonio about his programs and learn about how it works and what he has learned on his journey.

Following Tio Antonio, we’ll see some of the city’s major sites including the Cathedral, Casa de Tres Mundos, a unique working artists space, and Casa San Francisco, a museum housed in the oldest university in the new world. It houses an amazing collection of megalithic pre-Columbian statues. After these sites we’ll give everyone a chance to explore the city on their own. We’ll enjoy a delicious dinner together followed by a little nightlife depending on the evening. We will have a brief talk in Hotel Con Corazon, our hotel and a Dutch non-profit.

Accommodations at Hotel Con Corazon

Day 8

As all good things must end, so must our trip. After breakfast we will board our transport to the airport. Depending on the time of the flight there may be time for an additional shopping stop in Masaya or a visit to Momotombo Chocolate factory in Managua. We’ll learn about the process and sample the product before catching our flight.