Location: Leon
Area: 2.9 ha
Juan Venado Island Natural Reserve protects wetlands of Juan Venado Island near city of Leon in Nicaragua. Juan Venado island is not very big. It covers about 2.9 hectares and measures 0.5 km in width and 22 km in length. Juan Venado Island is separated from the mainland Nicaragua by a small strip of mangrove forest. Area of Juan Venado Island Natural Reserve is particularly abundant with marine life and many species of birds that snacks on this marine life. Juan Venado Island is famous as a nesting ground for birds that usually settle in the wetlands of this island. Additionally many sea turtles come here lay their eggs. However not all residents of the park are friendly. Juan Venado Island has a population of crocodiles that are not above eating humans. So if you want to take a swim in a river or a lake it is probably better to skip it. You can rent a kayak or a motor boat to explore the island and its wildlife. Both are available here.
Juan Venado Island owes its name to an ancient settler who hunted deer in the neighboring forest to sell their meat in the markets of León. Today, that possibility has disappeared along with the forests that used to border the mangroves.
The rainfall on Juan Venado Island ranges between 1,500 and 1,000
mm3, the sea breeze blows mainly in the morning hours. The turbonades
are frequent, accompanied by electrical phenomena, especially in the
rainy season. The temperature along the island usually averages above 28
degrees Celsius.
Lush mangrove forest
The dense mangrove forest
that covers Juan Venado Island protects the reserve and protects the
different animal species that have this beautiful natural paradise as a
habitat. The red mangrove (rhizophora mangle) is the mangrove species
that stands out the most along the island, whose concentration serves as
an ecological filter and helps to conserve the species that populate the
area such as iguanas, crocodiles, birds, spiders, crabs, among others.
The extensive sandy beaches of Juan Venado Island serve as a refuge for different species of sea turtles. The tora turtle (dermochelys leathery) and the paslama turtle (lepidochelys olivacea) spawn on the island between August and December giving rise to one of the most fascinating nature shows in the world. There are also two protection nurseries on the island, under the direct sowing modality in sand, which are part of the campaign to protect sea turtles on the Pacific beaches of Nicaragua. Also noteworthy is the Palo de Oro Cooperative, an ecotourism project where community members offer services that include night tours for the observation of turtle spawning and turtle release.
Due to its ecological characteristics, Juan Venado Island is the
perfect habitat for more than 80 species of birds between migratory and
resident, mainly white herons, brown herons, blue egrets, tricolored
egrets, guises, piches, pink spoonbills, magpies, chocoyos, among
others. The presence of thousands of birds makes the island a paradise
for birdwatchers.
Protected Nature Reserve in the Pacific of
Nicaragua
Juan Venado Island was declared a Nature Reserve on
September 19, 1983 for its high ecological value, being a site with a
mixture of ecosystems, microenvironments and scenery of island systems,
estuarine and coastal areas; which make the island exhibit
characteristics of high value for biodiversity conservation.
The island can be accessed by the town of Las Peñitas (at the
northern end) or by the town of Salinas Grandes (at the southern end).
Las Penitas: The area has favorable access conditions by a paved
road from León to its limits in the community of Las Peñitas (approx. 20
km) where you can rent a boat and make the tour on the estuary that
crosses it along its entire length. For this, the state of the tides
must be taken into consideration, generally at low tides it is more
difficult to access towards the central part.
Salinas Grandes: To
reach the other end of the island, on the León–Managua highway, take the
detour parallel to the La Leona bridge (known as the Salinas Grandes
junction) at km 77. There, some signs indicate the 12-kilometer road,
still unpaved, but in good condition, that leads to the community of
Salinas Grandes (approx. 27 km from León) that constitutes the southern
limit of the Reserve.
The entrance to the Juan Venado Island Nature Reserve has a cost of
fifty córdobas (C$5O) for domestic tourists and one hundred córdobas
(C$100) for foreign tourists.
There is no relevant infrastructure
inside the reserve, please bring everything you may need during your
visit: water, medicines, sunscreen, insect repellent, hat/cap,
sunglasses, bathing suit, food or snacks for the camino and your stay on
the island, etc.
To make the tour on the canals of the island it is
necessary to rent a boat. The rental price of the boats varies depending
on the duration of the tour and the number of passengers, for example,
the rental price of a boat with a maximum capacity for 10 people, making
a tour for 3 hours can amount to sixty US dollars ($60), not including
the entrance fee to the reservation.