Miraflor is a unique natural reserve about 30 kilometers from Estelí. The park measures 254 km² and three different climates can be observed: dry, intermediate, and humid. Miraflor is not a regular natural reserve. The park is inhabited by farmers who grow crops and raise cattle they live off.

The park houses nine communities, all making a living from agriculture. The UCA foundation (unrelated to Universidad Centro America, also shortened UCA) works on improving ecological farming in the area and has several programs to help the communities produce ecological products, coffee being the most important one.

They have also set up accommodation at the farms. The housing offered is very simple and back-to-basic (no electricity in your room, no running water, etc.), but provides a great way to see how the farmers in Miraflor live. All the farms are located inside the park, so it also means you will get close to nature. When you slowly wake up as the sun rises and the birds start to sing, you will experience the difference between urban areas and the rustic countryside of Miraflor. The climate is also a bit different in Miraflor. Because of the altitude, it can get kind of chilly at night. The temperature quickly rises during daytime.

Activities

There are various activities you can undertake at Miraflor. First of all, the park is great for hiking. There is dense cloud-forest but you can also walk through meadows and crop fields. Something you may not miss is a visit to one of the ecological coffee plantations. There are waterfalls, lagoons, caves, hills, and more interesting sites to visit. Another way of moving around in the reserve is by horse. There are plenty horses around, and you can hire a horse for some horseback riding through the park. This is a great way of visiting some sites that would otherwise be to far away or inaccessible. You can also do horseback riding at night. Passing rivers, climbing hills, and riding through dense forest on a horse with only the moonlight to provide some light is a real adventure!

Miraflor is a great place for bird watching as well. It is one of the few places where the spectacular quetzal lives. Although it is hard to spot this bird, you can hear his song from far and by listening to it you can try to localize the birds. Another interesting bird is the Montezuma Oropéndola (Golden Oriole). These black birds have a yellow tipped tail and produce a funny, gurgling sound. Their nests are often grouped together and look like a pendulum. Among the many, many other birds in the park are hummingbirds, toucans, woodpeckers, motmots, egrets and trogons.

Getting there

When visiting Miraflor be sure to make a reservation through the office in Estelí. Here you can arrange guides and horses as well. It’s easiest to simply pass by in Estelí and arrange those things before you head off to Miraflor. The gravel road to Miraflor is bumpy and gets dusty during the dry season. A high clearance car is recommended. The park is located 32 kilometers from Estelí, and it will take around 45 minutes in your own car.

Another option is taking one of the buses that go there. This will take two to three hours. At the UCA office in Estelí you can get more advice on transportation issues.