Tour Moskitia Painkira: Plátano River, Pico Dama, Petroglifos (7 days)
Price: 315$
This inexpensive trip provides an excellent opportunity for visitors with little time who want to get to know the Misquita Coast and part of the Río Plátano Biosphere (800,000 hectares). During this 7-day expedition you can get to know 3 ethnic cultures of Honduras: MISKITOS, PECH Y GARIFUNAS. On your tour of this territory of the Moskitia you will visit ecosystems of Mangroves, Beaches, Coastal Lagoons and Humid and Cloudy Tropical Forests. You will cross the territory that served as a hideout for the English Pirates in past centuries, interacting with their former allies, the Miskito people. This area of high cultural diversity also stands out for its beautiful landscapes near the immense IBANS Lagoon on the impressive mountainous scenery of suggestive foothills around the massif that presides over Pico Baltimore. During our tour we will observe various birds and the traveler will be able to appreciate their exotic songs and their fascinating colors and shapes. Some examples are red and green guaras, toucans, herons, orioles, kingfishers, coas, birds of prey, cormorants, flycatchers, chorchas, among many others. More than 500 species of birds have been identified in the Biosphere Reserve, which gives an idea of the rich natural diversity of the area. Always subject to fortune, it is also possible to live an encounter, although it is always brief, with large mammals such as the tapir, the white-tailed deer, the mountain pig, the coatis or coatis, tepescuintles, otters, and also reptiles such as the crocodile, iguana, various turtles and snakes, and numerous insects, highlighting among these a wide variety of brightly colored butterflies.
DAY 1: OVERNIGHT IN Raista (Family Lodging)
At 6:30 AM we take the 4×4 Pick ups at the COPENA Gas Station, located at the Colon exit, 8 minutes by car from the center of La Ceiba. We can also arrange for you to be picked up from your hotel. The journey begins by paved road for about 2.5 hours to Bonito Oriental and from here we continue on a dirt road passing through the Garifuna towns of Punta de Piedra, Ciriboya, Iriona until we reach Pueblo Nuevo, where we take the water taxi that will take them to Raista for about 2 more hours.
Overnight at Hostal de Raista, located near Belen about 300 meters from the beach. (beds with mosquito net, mattress and sheets, shower with bucket and hygienic latrine.) Food available on the route. Drinking water available in hostel.
DAY 2: LAS MARIAS OVERNIGHT
After breakfast we continue our trip inside the Mosquitia by motorized canoe towards Las Marías, leaving the Laguna de Ibans and passing through artificial canals and very picturesque lagoons until we reach the Río Plátano. We make a stop en route before reaching our destination to have our cold meal for lunch, stretch our legs and any other necessities. The trip takes approximately 7 hours. If you have biodegradable soap, you can bathe directly in the Río Plátano.
DAY 3: OVERNIGHT AT PICO DAMA (Camp)
After breakfast we walk through Las Marías, until we reach Batiltuk, where we will board our traditional canoes (pipantes) propelled by a crew of three palanqueros that will lead us up the Plátano river until we reach the Sulawala creek or Waikauban (two hours ) where we will start our walk of about 4 hours to the camp on the slope before Pico Dama. At the beginning of the walk we will walk an hour approx. through flat lands of native farms until you find the primary tropical rain forest and where the ascent begins. Already in the forest on the slopes, we will have a good opportunity to observe diverse fauna such as 3 different species of monkeys, birds and with luck and good attention, also other mammals. The walk ends in a camp where there is a cabin equipped with a latrine, wooden beds and a place to cook under the roof. Enjoy your first night in the jungle preparing an indigenous-style dinner in the company of your guides, to rest afterwards surrounded by the sounds of the jungle. There is a transparent water source near the camp that should be purified before consumption for greater safety.
DAY 4: OVERNIGHT AT PICO DAMA (Camp)
After breakfast we walk through Las Marías, until we reach Batiltuk, where we will board our traditional canoes (pipantes) propelled by a crew of three palanqueros that will lead us up the Plátano river until we reach the Sulawala creek or Waikauban (two hours ) where we will start our walk of about 4 hours to the camp on the slope before Pico Dama. At the beginning of the walk we will walk an hour approx. through flat lands of native farms until you find the primary tropical rain forest and where the ascent begins. Already in the forest on the slopes, we will have a good opportunity to observe diverse fauna such as 3 different species of monkeys, birds and with luck and good attention, also other mammals. The walk ends in a camp where there is a cabin equipped with a latrine, wooden beds and a place to cook under the roof. Enjoy your first night in the jungle preparing an indigenous-style dinner in the company of your guides, to rest afterwards surrounded by the sounds of the jungle. There is a transparent water source near the camp that should be purified before consumption for greater safety.
DAY 5: OVERNIGHT IN LAS MARIAS
After cooking and eating your second jungle breakfast,
We begin the trek back towards the Río Plátano, taking a new path that will lead us to a place called Waiknatara, downriver from our last destination for the day, located at the Walpaulbansirpe petroglyphs. Again, our walk will last for 4 hours, crossing impressive landscapes of primary tropical forest, increasingly rich in diversity and vegetation as we move towards the riverbed. We take our cold lunch, this time to eat it at the Pech farm in Waiknatara, on the left bank of the river before starting our river journey. There we will meet our pipantes to complete the journey to the site of the petroglyphs in approximately one hour and from where we will return in another two sailing downstream to Las Marías. Enjoy this unforgettable trip on the currents of the river, sailing in these ancestral boats and crossing the beautiful landscapes of the jungle on its banks that you will now contemplate from another perspective. The afternoon is falling and the possibilities of sighting fauna increase, especially birds. Take advantage of the silence of your boat and its crew to listen to the sounds of the jungle and open your eyes wide.
Two hours before nightfall we would be arriving at Las Marías on our way back, after this long day of impressions and experiences in the jungle, always accompanied by our Miskito or Pech guides. We will have a hot dinner at the hostel and we will undoubtedly share our impressions with our hosts.
DAY 6: OVERNIGHT IN Raista.
After breakfast (8:00 AM) we return to the coast in the same motorized canoe that transported us from Raistá three days before. The trip downriver is faster, taking 4.5 hours this time, to our lodge in the Miskito community on the coast. We have lunch upon arrival and take advantage of the afternoon to go to the beach or visit one of the nearby villages, Cocobila and Belén.
Don't forget to order your dinner at the hostel.
DAY 7: RETURN TO LA CEIBA
This day we leave at 5:00 AM from Raistá to Pueblo Nuevo in one of the same water taxis. Do not forget to coordinate this transportation with your hosts at the hostel, who will be happy to help you. In Pueblo Nuevo you will find the 4×4 pick up to Tocoa and La Ceiba. Normally the arrival in La Ceiba is around 2.00 p.m.
Our prices included: (See attached expense breakdown)
Accommodation in La Mosquitia, beds with mosquito nets, transportation in La Moskitia from Raista to destinations within the Rio Plátano biosphere and return to Raista, local guides from the community of Las Marias. For large groups we can provide extra mats.
Nuestros precios no incluyen: Comidas, guía bilingüe o naturalista, transporte de La Ceiba a Raista y retorno.
Add to your budget:
- Hot food in the moskitia $4.16 (L.100) the plate available in the hostels.
- Transportation: A. La Ceiba-Pueblo Nuevo La Ceiba $60 B. Pueblo Nuevo – Raista – Pueblo Nuevo by water taxi $ 22
- Cold lunches on day 2 and day 3, day 4 and day 5. And 2 dinners and 2 breakfasts for the Cabaña de Pico Dama. Buy these meals in La Ceiba.
- Bring tablets for water purification or Microdyn (colloidal silver)
Checklist:
- Personal items (soap, toothpaste, etc)
- Boots or sneakers with ankle protection for hiking.
- Light pillow (optional)
- Paddling gloves
- Repellent (apply to skin, shoes and clothing during walks against chiggers and ticks. We recommend Permethryn applied to clothing the day before for added protection. Check with your outdoor store.
- Blocker (Apply constantly by reflection of the sun in the H2O)
- Antifungal talc apply it every night on the foot.
- Flashlight, bulb and extra batteries.
- Camera (protect it against water)
- Caps, hats and/or scarves
- Personal meals (snacks)
- Dry bags, plastic bags or ziplocks to pack personal items against water.
- Binoculars, tropical bird guide (if you are a bird watcher) and other guides according to your taste.
- Bottle or canteen to refill purified water
- Personal water filter (optional)
- Prophylactic medicine against malaria and vaccines against tetanus, typhoid, and other tropical diseases (ask your doctor)
- Personal Medicines
- Personal meals (snacks)
- Travel, evacuation, illness and accident insurance
- Free insurance 504 assist.com For participants arriving by plane Please register online to obtain the benefit of the insurance.
- Signature of Release or Waiver at the beginning (release of responsibility)
Add to your budget:
Concepts included in the trip:
Roundtrip transportation from Raistá to Las Marías and Pico Dama
Lodging in Raistá, Las Marías, Camping in Pico Dama and
Local guides.
One free night of accommodation at the La Moskitia Ecoaventuras hostel in La Ceiba.