This 162-hectare private reserve and award-winning sustainable tourism project is set within the biological corridor between Chocoyero–El Brujo and Volcán Masaya National Park. In this setting, you’ll find comfortable accommodations with private bathrooms and an ample deck perched on the edge of a valley—great for armchair birding.

There are three trails to hike, with views of the Masaya Volcano and surrounding forest. The restaurant features family recipes and Sunday barbecues.

Over 155 bird species have been spotted here, including manakins, motmots, oropendolas, trogons, tanagers, toucans, and hummingbirds. This is one of the most accessible wildlife reserves in the country, making it really easy to escape from the city.

Getting to Montibelli Wildlife Reserve

To get to Montibelli Wildlife Reserve from Managua, drive south on Carretera Masaya, taking the turnoff through the town of Ticuantepe, then just after leaving town on Km 18.5 of the Ticuantepe–La Concha Highway, it’s a 2.8-km road to the main lodge, known locally as La Casa Blanca.

By bus, find a microbus heading south to La Concha and get off at Km 18.5 where you can take a mototaxi. Better yet, arrange for transport by contacting Claudia Belli in Managua (tel. 505/2270-4287, info [at] montibelli [dot] com, www.montibelli.com).