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Penas Blancas
Majestic Terms
Situated at an altitude of over 1,700 meters above the sea level, in
the department of Jinotega, Peñas Blancas is known for its coffee
plantations, its rain forests and its cloud forests, all ranging
according to how the massif advances in height. Within the
department of Jinotega, the mountains of Peñas Blancas form the most
remarkable scenic setting, combining marvelously steep, barren
slopes, clear, fresh waterfalls, numerous streams, mosses and
tropical trees. Hiking the massif is rather demanding, yet the
unspoiled forests and their calm deserve every effort you and your
guide are willing to take.
The massif itself is a natural reserve included within the larger
reserve of Bosawas. Everything about the Peñas Blancas Massif is
related to nature, its unparalleled beauty and its preservation.
Besides the specific impressive trees of the cloud forests and of
the rainforests, Peñas Blancas shelters enormous ferns rounding off
around the trees; the populations of bromeliads are stunning and
conquering, the same as it happens with the ample assortment of
colorful, perfumed orchids. The impressive trees range from the
red-brown mahogany, the sweet-smelling Spanish cedar, the dark
rosewood to the silky-smooth fiber “producer” that the ceiba (or the
silk-cotton tree) is and to the valuable rubber tree.
Animals, of course, are also protected within the Peñas Blancas. On
a hiking tour, the tourist may catch a glimpse of some of the many
animals who find the perfect home surrounded by the verdant
vegetation of these forests: howler monkeys, leaf frogs, tanagers,
toucans, tapirs, and even jaguars. The coatimundis are peculiar
fauna members, resembling to a high degree to raccoons and endowed
with a flexible snout which helps them in their food searches.
One alternative to ascending the massif – the climb is extremely
challenging, since the mountains are steep – is to get a tour of one
of the coffee plantations. Some of the farms will even offer you a
cup of coffee and a warm meal to go with that effort you undertook
while climbing. Additionally, you have the chance to
See the laborious determination it takes one to maintain a coffee
plantation.
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