Whether you’re in Nicaragua during the dry or wet season, you should make time to visit the Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos. The reserve is home to more than 2000 people, 81 species of amphibian, 18 rivers, 42 mammalian species and over 400 species of bird. During the wet season it becomes a veritable cascading wonderland and in the dry season it overflows with migratory waterfowl.

Getting there
The ride over to the refuge will be rather expensive and is only reachable by panga or by boat. If you’re not careful in your choices of boat, you may be explaining to the Costa-Rican government why you don’t think you need your passport for this journey—just a tip: take your passport with you wherever you go, especially if you’ll be near the border.