Ritmo Costeno Magazine – The Beat of the Atlantic

For an area of such amazing natural beauty and diverse cultures it is perhaps surprising that not more visitors take the time to get to know Pearl Lagoon. Less than one and a half hours from Bluefields by Panga, the Pearl Lagoon area is home to charming towns, accessible indigenous villages, jungle lined rivers and the white sand beaches of the Pearl Keys.

Pearl Lagoon town is the jumping off point for discovering the region. It is a timeless, relaxed Creole community where residents pass the time singing, playing baseball or just chilling out and chewing the fat.

Although the town has recently been linked to the rest of the country through the new Rama-Kukra Hill highway, the town itself has no real roads and is easy to get to know on foot. It is also a great place to get a taste for traditional regional cooking.

A short walk through some interesting wetlands leads to the Miskito village of Awas. Here the waters of the lagoon are cleaner than those in town and there is a coconut tree fringed beach that runs along the front of the village. Ask around for fresh seafood – crab soup is a specialty.

For those looking for somewhere even more remote, a short boat ride across the lagoon lies the small Miskito community of Kakabila. There is not a lot to do in Kakabila except sit back and enjoy the relaxed vibe. Trips to surrounding the forest which is full of wildlife can also be arranged. At nightfall, the village hipsters like to hang out on the pier under the stars and listen to country and reggae classics on their radios. Those that like to smoke will not feel out of place.

Further north lies the Garifuna community of Orinoco. The Garifuna trace their origins back to the island of San Vicente in the Caribbean sea, where the local indigenous community mixed with Africans bought to the area by the slave trade.

Orinoco is the capital of the Garifuna in Nicaragua and is an outpost of the more densely populated Garifuna settlements in Honduras and Belize. Despite this geographical isolation, the local residents are extremely proud of their culture and traditions and a visit to this community is a highlight of the region.

Another village with Garifuna roots is La Fe, a gorgeous collection of wooden houses on a majestic bay surrounded by dense jungle. While there is not much in the way of accomodation options here, it is considered by many to be one of the most scenic locales on the lagoon and is definitely worth a visit.

Nestled between the lagoon and the Caribbean Sea lies the most populous village in the area, Tasbapouni. Tasba, as it is affectionately known, has a reputation of being somewhat sketchy, and while it is definitely a little on edge, it is also far more lively than the other communities in the area. The Creole and Miskito residents like to party and the village boasts what has to be one of the most remote discos in the country.

From here the beach on the Caribbean side stretches uninterupted all the way south to the mouth of the lagoon and north to Sandy Bay. Adventurous travelers can rent a horse in town to explore the area. For nature lovers, a trip in a dugout canoe to the waterways and lagoons that surround the village offers the chance to get close to local wildlife.

With a well planned itinerary, visitors can take in all these sites during a weekend trip and as tourism has yet to really make a mark here, this amazing destination is unlikely to leave a major dent in your travel budget.