Travel Guide Puerto Lempira

Puerto Lempira is the capital of the department of Gracias a Dios. The city is also located on the edge of a large lake, the Laguna de Caratasca. It differs from the rest of the Moskitia for its overland connection with Nicaragua (across the border of Leimus). In the south of Puerto Lempira there are large savanes and pine forests extending to the tropical rainforests of Mocoron and Ahuasbila. The emergent streams in the savanna have crystalline waters, which do not carry sediment. The "forest galleries" (leaved forest on the edge of rivers) on their shores serve as a refuge for large mammals such as deer, jaguars and pumas. Pine forests are uninhabited, with infertile land not suitable for agriculture. Miskito, however, live on the banks of rivers and lagoons, as well as on the coast close to the ocean, where they can cultivate land. To visit the tropical forest, you will have to go to Mocoron and then take a motorboat to penetrate the jungle. Near Mocoron, caves with archaeological remains have been discovered. And here again you can observe a multitude of animals (many birds) by making long walks in the jungle. For the great adventurers, you can camp on the river. From Puerto Lempira you can also visit the Miskito village of Mistruc, the barra of Caratasca, Caukira and many villages on the edge of narrow canals and small lakes. At Laguna de Tansin, by entering Mistruk, you can observe many migratory birds from November to February.