We’ve been to Nicaragua five times so far, and we absolutely love it. There’s so much to explore, it’s safe, relatively inexpensive, and a quick flight from us in Florida. On a previous trip I’d spent several days at this chilled out mountain resort and coffee farm near Matagalpa, called Selva Negra. It was started by German immigrants in the late 1800’s and named after the Black Forest in southwestern Germany. In planning our most recent trip earlier this year, I knew I wanted to enjoy that relaxed atmosphere again. Thalita wasn’t with me my last time there, so I really wanted to share this special place with her. So, we reserved a few days, and started getting excited.
Getting there is super easy. We landed in Managua and immediately taxied over to the main bus station at Mercado Mayoreo for a few dollars(US). We got there in time for the 1:oo PM Express bus to Matagalpa. It took about 2.5 hours to get to Matagalpa, where we stayed for a night, mainly to just get a glimpse of the city. The last time I went to Selva Negra I just caught a bus from Matagalpa heading towards Jinotega, and asked the driver to let me off at the turn off, and walked a couple km down to the resort. That option is still available and very easy. But sometimes we prefer to just take a taxi and get there quickly, so we got a taxi all the way there for only $12US. As we climbed in elevation, the temperature dropped, and the winds picked up. When we arrived it felt so good outside. 70 °F/21°C was the high with lows around 62°F/16°C.
There are many accommodation options, a dorm style building, a small hotel building on the lake, and multiple different sized bungalows and chalets that can house couples to large families. We got a one bedroom bungalow that was set off by itself away from many of the other ones and had an awesome view of the mountains and valley below. Ours was number 12 if this sounds appealing to you.
One of the big draws to Selva Negra is touring their coffee farm operation. In our opinion the tour was well worth the $15US price tag. It lasted approximately two hours, with very knowledgeable guides, and ended with a short tasting. We were there in early February, which was the tail end of the coffee harvest, so we were able to visit the coffee pickers and talk with a few of them. They get paid by the basket, and are able to live on the property during the harvest. Selva Negra provides meals, accommodation, and medical care to it’s workers, which was really cool to hear.
The majority of the coffee grown here is organic, shade grown. Also, sustainability is a high priority. It’s so interesting to see all that goes into maintaining this land. Their major buyer of organic coffee is Whole Foods, so if you’re reading this in the US, give it a try. It’s really good!
Selva Negra also sustainably farms fruits, vegetables, and livestock. All of which, they serve at their restaurant. While I was out hiking, Thalita took a tour of the farm and enjoyed it very much. The guide went in to an amazing amount of detail about their farming techniques, and what helps them thrive. She highly recommends taking the time to do this tour if you’re staying for a couple days. It’s very cool to know that everything we ate while staying there, eggs, cheese, chicken, beef, and vegetables, as well as the coffee we drank, were all produced right there on the farm.
Another thing we loved about Selva Negra is their over 20km of hiking trails in the cloud forest. The trails range from easy to pretty damn steep. I remember the “Fuente de la Juventud” or “Fountain of Youth” trail being quite steep and slippery, but it’s really fun. On the trails, it’s quite easy to hear and spot howler monkeys. Also, keep your eye out for the quetzal. We didn’t see one of these pretty birds, but several other hikers reported seeing them on the days we were on the trails. Once you make it to the top of the main steep mountain, you can rest for a bit with an easier trail along the ridge, before making your way back down one of the other trails to the bottom. There’s even a viewpoint up top where you can view the city of Matagalpa, where we’d come from a few days before. The restaurant serves amazing food and drinks, so doing a bit of hiking helped to offset all our chowing down. At least I like to think it did.
If hiking isn’t your thing, or you aren’t prepared to get dirty, the expansive grounds of Selva Negra are wonderful to stroll through. Beautiful landscaping and flowers everywhere will have you snapping photos all over. They also have a gorgeous wedding chapel, equipped with wedding planners, and all the works. We heard from our tour guide that quite a few famous people have been married there. There wasn’t any ceremony going on during our time there, so we were able to wander around and enjoy everything without worry.
Our several days relaxing and learning at Selva Negra Mountain Resort were amazing. The climate and atmosphere are an awesome break from coastal Nicaragua, where most visitors spend their time. If heading to Nicaragua, plan to visit Selva Negra, you won’t regret it.
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