Protected Areas in Nicaragua

The Bosawás Biosphere Reserve is located in the north of Nicaragua, next to the border with Honduras. Together with three neighboring protected areas of Honduras, it constitutes the largest protected area complex of tropical mountain moist forest north of the Amazon Basin.

Masaya Volcano National Park, consisting of a volcanic caldera with two volcanoes and five craters, was established in 1979 as Nicaragua's first national park. Volcán Masaya is one of Nicaragua's most popular tourist attractions due to the opportunity of direct contact with the crater.

Ometepe is an island in southwest Nicaragua, formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua. It is the lake's largest island. Two imposing volcanoes, Maderas and Concepción, define its topography. The island has been designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

The Río San Juan Biosphere Reserve comprises seven protected areas. It covers an important variety of ecosystems representative of tropical humid forests and wetlands, tidal marshes, coastal lagoons and estuaries which are essential shelters for rare or threatened animals and plants.

The Solentiname Islands are an archipelago located in the southeastern part of Lake Nicaragua. They comprise four larger islands: Mancarroncito, Mancarrón, San Fernando, and La Venada. Along with some 32 smaller islands with rocky headlands, they afford shelter to numerous aquatic birds.