Bluefields
Bluefields is the capital of the municipality of the same name, and of R.A.A.S in Nicaragua. It was also capital of the now extinct Zelaya department which was divided into North and South Atlantic Autonomous Regions. It is located on Bluefields Bay at the mouth of the Escondido River.
Bluefields was name after the Dutch pirate Henry Blufeldt who hid in the bays water in the early 17th century. It has a population of around 60,000 and its inhabitants are mostly Mestizo, Miskito, Creole and smaller communities of Garifuna, Chinese, Sumu, and Ramas. Bluefields is Nicaragua's chief Caribbean port, where hardwood, seafood, shrimp and lobster, are exported. Bluefields was a rendezvous for English and Dutch buccaneers in the 16th and 17th century and became capital of the British protectorate over the Mosquito Coast in 1678. During United States interventions (1912-15, 1926-33) in Nicaragua, Marines were stationed there. In 1984, the United States mined the harbor (along with those of Corinto and Puerto Sandino). Bluefields was destroyed by Hurricane Joan in 1988 but was rebuilt.
Bluefields is the largest and most important of the three municipalities on the Atlantic Coast and is located 380 kms east of Managua on the western shore of behind the bluffs at the mouth of the Rio Escondido on Bluefields Lagoon. It is the administrative capital of the RAAS and has the principal offices of the Regional Government and the Regional Council. The population of Bluefields is multiethnic, multi-language and multicultural. Mestizos make up about 57% of the total population with Creoles making up 36% and Miskitos, Garifunas, and Ramas making up the remaining 7%. Spanish is the official language but English and Miskito are used in everyday conversations. The distribution of RAAS is 82% of the inhabitants live in the municipality of Bluefields and the other 18% are living in the surrounding communities.
The climate for this region is tropical with the average temperature annually at 26ºC and a maximum temperature of 32ºC. The average rainfall in the RAAS is between 160 and 180 inches of rain annually. The rainy season begins in May and lasts through December with the dry season in March, April, and May but even then there is a good chance of rain. Normally it is very humid because the elevation of Bluefields is 20 feet above sea level and is located at 12º north latitude, which is just over 750 miles north of the equator.
Transportation
Transportation creates no problem within Bluefields but Bluefields is a land locked island. The primary forms of public transportation are buses, mini-buses, and taxis. Buses run from 6 am until 8 pm and the taxis run as long as there are customers. The primary form of transportation to/from Bluefields is by panga on the Rio Escondido. There is only one land route to Bluefields from Managua. This is by truck or bus from El Rama. The airfield is 3 km south of the main business district. Aquatic transportation is not sufficient to meet all the demands of Bluefields and consequently, products cost more in Bluefields than in Managua because of the increased cost of transportation. Bluefields is not self-sufficient and must depend on outside sources for most of its essential daily supplies.
Economy
The major economic activities in this region are from fishing and the exploitation of wood. Large portions of these businesses are in the informal sector with very little industrialization in the region. There are several small businesses in the industrial sector but these employ only a limited number of people. Although fishing takes place on both coasts of Nicaragua, its potential is greater on the Caribbean side. The interaction between the rivers, bays, and lagoons produce an excellent source of food and safe refuge for different marine species. Several areas off the coast are considered some of the best areas for shrimp, which is one of the largest exported products. Industrial fishing on the Caribbean coast began in the late 1950s and was marked with intense fishing for both shrimp and lobster. The Caribbean Coast accounts for 89% of the gross income obtained nationally from fishing. More than 80% of the Coast people are employed in this sector. Many of the residents of Bluefields are connected either directly or indirectly with this particular sector, through the service or commercial sectors.
History
The municipality of Bluefields is the largest and the oldest city on the Atlantic Coast. The origin of the city is placed around 1602 and is said to be named after a Dutch pirate by the name of Henry Blufeldt, who is reported to have used this area as a base of operation. Other versions that are equally accepted, but less glamorous, are that this area was called "Campos Azules". This translates from Spanish to English as Bluefields. Generally, it is accepted that the origin of the city of Bluefields is connected with the presence on the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast of European pirates, subjects of powers at the time hostile to Spain. These pirates used the Escondido River to rest, to repair damages and to be provisioned. By then, the territory of the present municipality was populated by the native towns of Kukra and Branch.
Consensus exists that the black Africans first appeared in the Caribbean coast in 1641, when a Portuguese ship that transported slaves wrecked in the Miskito Cays. From the original settlement the bay began to be populated. In 1730 the colony of Bluefields passed to depend on the British government of Jamaica. For this, the alliance of the English Miskito ethnic group was decisive, and the British provided them with armaments that allowed them to subdue the other ethnic groups of the Caribbean coast, the Sumu and Rama.
In 1740 the Miskitos yielded to England the sovereignty on the territory and on 1744 the transfer of English colonists was organized from Jamaica toward the Mosquito Coast. They brought along with them black slaves and established Bluefields as the capital of Miskitolandia. In 1847 the first Moravian missionary arrived in Bluefields and two years later in 1849 established the first Moravian church. . French citizens were also installed. In this way the British established and commanded a zone of influence, in conjunction with the Miskitos as governing authority, from Honduras to Panama. The area was a British Protectorate until 1796, when England recognized the sovereignty of Spain on the Mosquito Coast; the English subjects also abandoned the islands but the Spaniards did not take firm positions in them.
The Moravian Church was installed in 1847, and in 1860 the Miskito Reserve was created in the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, by an agreement between the British and American governments in which Nicaragua as a country did not have part, and the English crown intervened again putting it under its protection. The city of Bluefields was declared capital of that Reserve.Slaves originating in Jamaica that sought freedom on the Nicaraguan coast continued arriving during the greater part of the 19th century.
The plan of 'Europeanization' of the natives was completed by the 1880s, when English and Americans expanded the production of banana and wood, creating an enclave economy. By 1880 Bluefields was already a city of cosmopolitan character, with an intense commercial activity.
In 1894 the government of Nicaragua, under the authority of General Santos Zelaya, incorporated the Miskito Reserve into the national territory, extinguishing the Miskito monarchy and on October 11, 1903 Bluefields was proclaimed capital of the Department of Zelaya. The Atlantic Coast has a very interesting and active history and those events are still having effect on events today.
Things to Do
One of the biggest social attractions in Bluefields is the month long festival in May called "Palo de Mayo". This takes place all month but the high point of the festival is in the third week of May. It is a combination of Creole and English customs with local music, dancing, and general merry making. In past years it had not been celebrated very much but new interest in the traditional music and dancing has revived this tradition and it is well worth the time to visit and participate in this festival. Another festival that got its start in the early 1920s is the festival of San Jeronimo.
The lagoon is not ideal for swimming because it is a bay that is fed by the one major river and several smaller streams though you will see the locals swimming there. It is quite muddy but it is a good place for the fish to breed. Take a panga to El Bluff and walk to one of the beaches on the Caribbean side if you wish to swim. Other points of interest around Bluefields are trips to Pearl Lagoon and Pearl Cays. Boats leave every morning for Laguna de Perlas, which is about one hour north of Bluefields and additional trips can be planned to the many indigenous villages on Pearl Lagoon. The trip up to Pearl Lagoon is worth the trip alone. You travel across the bay and then follow the river up to the next lagoon. The jungle closes in on you several places and you also get to see as many of the local homes that are next to the river as well as people traveling on the river.
There are daily flights to Corn Island and the big boats run infrequently. Corn Island and Little Corn Island are beautiful Caribbean islands and have great swimming and snorkeling. English is spoken on the islands but it can be hard to understand at first. The biggest festival on the islands is Crab Soup Day, which is in August, and celebrates the freeing of the slaves by the British in 1841.
Two other major activities are fishing and the casinos for those that love to gamble
Miscellaneous
There are numerous churches in Bluefields but the two most prominent churches are the Moravian and Roman Catholic. These two denominations make up the largest percentage of church members and they are also used in giving direction on how to get to most places in Bluefields. There is also a very active Evangelical movement in Bluefields, which are represented by the Mormans, Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, and other lesser movements.
Bluefields is, for the most part, a safe area but one should always use common sense when walking at night. The people are very helpful and will go to extremes to be helpful. Housing and food can be expensive and tend to be more expensive than on the Pacific. The Atlantic Coast is different from the rest of Nicaragua but can be exciting to visit and live.
Bluefields was name after the Dutch pirate Henry Blufeldt who hid in the bays water in the early 17th century. It has a population of around 60,000 and its inhabitants are mostly Mestizo, Miskito, Creole and smaller communities of Garifuna, Chinese, Sumu, and Ramas. Bluefields is Nicaragua's chief Caribbean port, where hardwood, seafood, shrimp and lobster, are exported. Bluefields was a rendezvous for English and Dutch buccaneers in the 16th and 17th century and became capital of the British protectorate over the Mosquito Coast in 1678. During United States interventions (1912-15, 1926-33) in Nicaragua, Marines were stationed there. In 1984, the United States mined the harbor (along with those of Corinto and Puerto Sandino). Bluefields was destroyed by Hurricane Joan in 1988 but was rebuilt.
Bluefields is the largest and most important of the three municipalities on the Atlantic Coast and is located 380 kms east of Managua on the western shore of behind the bluffs at the mouth of the Rio Escondido on Bluefields Lagoon. It is the administrative capital of the RAAS and has the principal offices of the Regional Government and the Regional Council. The population of Bluefields is multiethnic, multi-language and multicultural. Mestizos make up about 57% of the total population with Creoles making up 36% and Miskitos, Garifunas, and Ramas making up the remaining 7%. Spanish is the official language but English and Miskito are used in everyday conversations. The distribution of RAAS is 82% of the inhabitants live in the municipality of Bluefields and the other 18% are living in the surrounding communities.
The climate for this region is tropical with the average temperature annually at 26ºC and a maximum temperature of 32ºC. The average rainfall in the RAAS is between 160 and 180 inches of rain annually. The rainy season begins in May and lasts through December with the dry season in March, April, and May but even then there is a good chance of rain. Normally it is very humid because the elevation of Bluefields is 20 feet above sea level and is located at 12º north latitude, which is just over 750 miles north of the equator.
Transportation
Transportation creates no problem within Bluefields but Bluefields is a land locked island. The primary forms of public transportation are buses, mini-buses, and taxis. Buses run from 6 am until 8 pm and the taxis run as long as there are customers. The primary form of transportation to/from Bluefields is by panga on the Rio Escondido. There is only one land route to Bluefields from Managua. This is by truck or bus from El Rama. The airfield is 3 km south of the main business district. Aquatic transportation is not sufficient to meet all the demands of Bluefields and consequently, products cost more in Bluefields than in Managua because of the increased cost of transportation. Bluefields is not self-sufficient and must depend on outside sources for most of its essential daily supplies.
Economy
The major economic activities in this region are from fishing and the exploitation of wood. Large portions of these businesses are in the informal sector with very little industrialization in the region. There are several small businesses in the industrial sector but these employ only a limited number of people. Although fishing takes place on both coasts of Nicaragua, its potential is greater on the Caribbean side. The interaction between the rivers, bays, and lagoons produce an excellent source of food and safe refuge for different marine species. Several areas off the coast are considered some of the best areas for shrimp, which is one of the largest exported products. Industrial fishing on the Caribbean coast began in the late 1950s and was marked with intense fishing for both shrimp and lobster. The Caribbean Coast accounts for 89% of the gross income obtained nationally from fishing. More than 80% of the Coast people are employed in this sector. Many of the residents of Bluefields are connected either directly or indirectly with this particular sector, through the service or commercial sectors.
History
The municipality of Bluefields is the largest and the oldest city on the Atlantic Coast. The origin of the city is placed around 1602 and is said to be named after a Dutch pirate by the name of Henry Blufeldt, who is reported to have used this area as a base of operation. Other versions that are equally accepted, but less glamorous, are that this area was called "Campos Azules". This translates from Spanish to English as Bluefields. Generally, it is accepted that the origin of the city of Bluefields is connected with the presence on the Nicaraguan Caribbean coast of European pirates, subjects of powers at the time hostile to Spain. These pirates used the Escondido River to rest, to repair damages and to be provisioned. By then, the territory of the present municipality was populated by the native towns of Kukra and Branch.
Consensus exists that the black Africans first appeared in the Caribbean coast in 1641, when a Portuguese ship that transported slaves wrecked in the Miskito Cays. From the original settlement the bay began to be populated. In 1730 the colony of Bluefields passed to depend on the British government of Jamaica. For this, the alliance of the English Miskito ethnic group was decisive, and the British provided them with armaments that allowed them to subdue the other ethnic groups of the Caribbean coast, the Sumu and Rama.
In 1740 the Miskitos yielded to England the sovereignty on the territory and on 1744 the transfer of English colonists was organized from Jamaica toward the Mosquito Coast. They brought along with them black slaves and established Bluefields as the capital of Miskitolandia. In 1847 the first Moravian missionary arrived in Bluefields and two years later in 1849 established the first Moravian church. . French citizens were also installed. In this way the British established and commanded a zone of influence, in conjunction with the Miskitos as governing authority, from Honduras to Panama. The area was a British Protectorate until 1796, when England recognized the sovereignty of Spain on the Mosquito Coast; the English subjects also abandoned the islands but the Spaniards did not take firm positions in them.
The Moravian Church was installed in 1847, and in 1860 the Miskito Reserve was created in the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, by an agreement between the British and American governments in which Nicaragua as a country did not have part, and the English crown intervened again putting it under its protection. The city of Bluefields was declared capital of that Reserve.Slaves originating in Jamaica that sought freedom on the Nicaraguan coast continued arriving during the greater part of the 19th century.
The plan of 'Europeanization' of the natives was completed by the 1880s, when English and Americans expanded the production of banana and wood, creating an enclave economy. By 1880 Bluefields was already a city of cosmopolitan character, with an intense commercial activity.
In 1894 the government of Nicaragua, under the authority of General Santos Zelaya, incorporated the Miskito Reserve into the national territory, extinguishing the Miskito monarchy and on October 11, 1903 Bluefields was proclaimed capital of the Department of Zelaya. The Atlantic Coast has a very interesting and active history and those events are still having effect on events today.
Things to Do
One of the biggest social attractions in Bluefields is the month long festival in May called "Palo de Mayo". This takes place all month but the high point of the festival is in the third week of May. It is a combination of Creole and English customs with local music, dancing, and general merry making. In past years it had not been celebrated very much but new interest in the traditional music and dancing has revived this tradition and it is well worth the time to visit and participate in this festival. Another festival that got its start in the early 1920s is the festival of San Jeronimo.
The lagoon is not ideal for swimming because it is a bay that is fed by the one major river and several smaller streams though you will see the locals swimming there. It is quite muddy but it is a good place for the fish to breed. Take a panga to El Bluff and walk to one of the beaches on the Caribbean side if you wish to swim. Other points of interest around Bluefields are trips to Pearl Lagoon and Pearl Cays. Boats leave every morning for Laguna de Perlas, which is about one hour north of Bluefields and additional trips can be planned to the many indigenous villages on Pearl Lagoon. The trip up to Pearl Lagoon is worth the trip alone. You travel across the bay and then follow the river up to the next lagoon. The jungle closes in on you several places and you also get to see as many of the local homes that are next to the river as well as people traveling on the river.
There are daily flights to Corn Island and the big boats run infrequently. Corn Island and Little Corn Island are beautiful Caribbean islands and have great swimming and snorkeling. English is spoken on the islands but it can be hard to understand at first. The biggest festival on the islands is Crab Soup Day, which is in August, and celebrates the freeing of the slaves by the British in 1841.
Two other major activities are fishing and the casinos for those that love to gamble
Miscellaneous
There are numerous churches in Bluefields but the two most prominent churches are the Moravian and Roman Catholic. These two denominations make up the largest percentage of church members and they are also used in giving direction on how to get to most places in Bluefields. There is also a very active Evangelical movement in Bluefields, which are represented by the Mormans, Jehovah Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventist, and other lesser movements.
Bluefields is, for the most part, a safe area but one should always use common sense when walking at night. The people are very helpful and will go to extremes to be helpful. Housing and food can be expensive and tend to be more expensive than on the Pacific. The Atlantic Coast is different from the rest of Nicaragua but can be exciting to visit and live.
