ABOUT EL CASTILLO & THE RIO SAN JUAN

El Castillo - the little town with a turbulent history, much like the rest of Nicaragua. Nowadays it's a pleasant, sleepy stopover (no cars!) for those choosing to experience more of the natural adventure of the Rio San Juan. This river represents Nicaraguans' nationalism and pride as a country; it's beautiful people bravely survive a history which includes hundreds of years of turmoil, invasions and wars.

So much of what has shaped Nicaragua into what it is today happened right here in El Castillo. Hundreds of years ago, the Spaniards who conquered the indigenous people built their protective fort deliberately and strategically very close to a stretch of rapids which would have been difficult for invading forces to access easily through to Granada and the rest of Nicaragua. All the major names in piracy attempted to pass through at one time or other - and some succeeded. Morgan, Drake, Dampier were all here at some point. Rafaela Herrera, the 19-year-old daughter of a Spanish commander, held off the fortress from the English, and even sunk one of their warships with a well-aimed cannon. William Walker based his troops in the castle for a short time during his ill-fated coup attempt. During the gold rush Mark Twain and thousands of others cut weeks off their journey by using this route to the west; down the river lies the rusted remains of a steam ship some used for transportation during this time. And in Boca San Carlos lies another dramatic bit of history, a half-sunk wreckage of a Contra plane shot down by Sandinistas during this most recent conflict.

War has been long over now for about two decades, and the turbulence has settled, but the people and stories still remain. It's really impossible to encapsulate such history in a few paragraphs. However, realize that the figurative (and literal!) bones of pirates, Sandinistas, Contras, along with at least part of the very identity of Nicaragua itself lie above and under the silt of the Rio San Juan. So while you're here in the region, brush up on your Spanish and talk to the locals about themselves, their pastand future. In El Castillo as in the rest of the country the red and black flags still fly, but the hearts and minds of the people continue to beat in time with change. To understand the country, one must also understand what has happened here in the last few hundred years. You must see and experience through a Nica's eyes; that's why it's so important to spend a bit of time off the beaten path here in Nicaragua, no matter where you're from, or where you’re heading to....¡Viva Nicaragua!