Rio San Juan, Solentiname Islands
Rio San Juan
Río San Juan is a department in Nicaragua that was formed in 1957 from parts of Chontales and Zelaya. It covers an area of 7,473 km² and has a population of 95,500 (2005 census). The capital is San Carlos and it includes the Archipelago of Solentiname and the San Juan River, after which it is named.
The Rio San Juan river starts at the southwest corner of Lake Nicaragua (San Carlos), and flows for 119 miles (199 km) to the Caribbean Ocean (Greytown). A large section of the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica runs on the right bank of the river. It was part of a proposed route for a Nicaragua Canal in the 19th century. The idea of the project has been revived in the last decade, including the possibility of other routes within the country. Supposedly they have obtained a concession from the National Assembly of Nicaragua to re-open the San Juan River to commercial barge traffic. At this time, there are rapids that will only allow shallow drafted boats to pass.
History
The river was first discovered by the Spanish in 1525. The importance of a route to the ocean was realized and they sought to control it by the construction of the town, San Carlos. It was not until 1539 that were able to travel the river all of the way to the ocean. This provided the trading connection between Granada, Havana and other countries. Unfortunately the pirates also figured this out and quickly used the route to plunder Granada and even León.
The Spanish constructed as many as 12 fortresses along the San Juan river with the biggest being El Castillo (1675) that still exists in the town of El Castillo. This fortress had many encounters with pirates, American invasions and the British troops.
One of the Nicaraguan heroines, Rafaela Herrera, emerged here when her father, chief of command, was killed during an attack. Rafaela and her troops stood against a much more powerful force of invaders and successfully defended the river. Even the famous Horatio Nelson led a battle against the fort and although successful, was much too weak to continue and so, retreated.
Prior to the Panama Canal, the San Juan river was frequently used to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. During the California Gold Rush many people from all over the world traveled to California to mine for gold, tens of thousands of which took a steamboat that was operated by Cornelius Vanderbilt that took them through the river. At that time this route was much faster than the overland route across the United States. The discovery of gold in California drew additional attention from American and European powers who wanted to establish and control routes across Panama and Nicaragua. Americans, French and British were among the contenders, and in a move to control the route, the British occupied the Eastern seaboard port of San Juan del Norte between 1848 and 1850, renaming it Greytown.
Cornelius Vanderbilt established a highly profitable route across Nicaragua by waterway and carriage road. In 1851, he developed the route in competition with the Pacific Mail Line, which had joined the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the overland Panama route. The Panama route was laborious until the railroad was completed across the Isthmus in 1855.
Vanderbilt’s route was easier in that once passengers reached San Juan del Norte, on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, most of the journey between the oceans was covered in small boats (bungoes) and steamers. The bungoes ferried passengers and cargo up the San Juan River through 125 miles of jungles filled with howling monkeys and exotic birds, to Lake Nicaragua, then across Lake Nicaragua via steamer to La Virgen (Virgin Bay) near Rivas.
Unfortunately, the subsequent canal was built in Panama and interest was lost in the San Juan river. Nature took over and the river area remains a bountiful area of biodiversity.
The San Juan River is home to freshwater bull sharks that also go into Lake Nicaragua. This area is unique in that the mixing of the salt and fresh water allows both types of life to freely mix. Along with being a home to many different types of marine life, the San Juan River is abundant in biodiversity. The whole area is considered a tropical rain forest and the biodiversity is phenomenal. All along the river you can see hundreds of different bird species like: Chestnut Toucans, Harpy Eagles, Boat-billed herons, Great Egrets, Jacanas and Cormorants. Other species include caimans (crocodiles), turtles, monkeys, red arrow frogs.
The area just south of the Archipelago, and on the Nicaraguan side of the border with Costa Rica, is known as Los Guatuzos, a nature reserve to satisfy the most experienced naturalist. Birds, reptiles, and mammals of almost every description live in the exuberant foliage. Boat trips through the Solentiname islands and the preserves can be obtained in San Carlos.
Traveling down the San Juan River, in the direction of the Caribbean is by panga. The first major stop is El Castillo (Castillo La Inmaculada Concepción) where the ruins of the old Spanish fort stand on a hill guarding the one water route from Caribbean pirates, the British Navy and even North American attacks.
Many nature reserves have been established and strong conservation measures are taken, to keep civilization from intruding on the natural wonders of the area. It is now possible to take a boat from San Carlos all the way to the mouth of the Río San Juan at San Juan del Norte (once known as Greytown when the British controlled it).
What to See
Traveling downstream on the San Juan River you will encounter two main towns along the way, Sábalos and El Castillo.
Approximately two hours down the river you arrive at Sábalos. The Sábalos River joins the San Juan River here and the small village is located on both sides of this river. It is a small town but there are a few hotels and several private natural reserves including some hot water springs.
A little further down river is the historical village of El Castillo. It is named after the fortress that was built here during colonial times to protect the Spanish territory against pirates and other invaders. Currently, the fortress functions as a historical museum and there is a small library with an interesting collecting of historical, biological and other books. The fortress provides a great views of the river.
There are a few activities in El Castillo and it is rather picturesque having just walkways instead of streets. There are several hotels, restaurants, Internet access and a butterfly farm. They do offer tours including horseback riding, canoe trips, and other activities.
Boats are like buses here with boats going by constantly, just flag one down to get a ride. There is a bus from San Carlos to Sábalos.
Indio Maíz Biological ReserveThe Indio Maíz Biological Reserve is a very well-preserved natural area covered by tropical rainforest. It is huge being 3,180 km² with many rivers that flow through the reserve. The forest is the home to spectacular birds and beautiful mammals of which one is the jaguar, although spotting one will not be an easy task.
The reserve starts six kilometers past El Castillo and stretches all the way to the coast, and it includes a large territory north of the river, all the way up to the Maíz River. Entrance to the reserve is controlled by the ministry of natural resources (MARENA). There are two different places to enter the forest. One of them is in the southwestern corner, six kilometers downstream the San Juan River from El Castillo The other entrance is to enter the reserve via the Indio River, located at the southeastern side of the area. Much of this is unexplored though there is a hotel (Refugio Bartola) on the Bartola River.
San Juan del Norte and Greytown
At the other end of the river, San Juan del Norte has been part of many historical occurrences. Spanish conquerors established a small town and called it San Juan del Norte.
In the 1800s the town of was attacked by the British who joined forces with the Miskito Indians living in the area. The British won and the city was renamed to Greytown which became a wealthy town as the San Juan River gained importance as a route during the California Gold Rush. Greytown was then a home to a British consulate and commercial buildings like a bank and a casino. Cornelius Vanderbilt wanted to creatg a canal that would offer a short route from the Atlantic to the Pacific side. Using the natural flow of the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua, the canal should have been easier to build than at other sites. A small unsuccessful attempt was made to build the canal but serious engineering mistakes doomed the effort. We’ll never know if a Nicaragua route would have been more successful than the politically decided Panama route. Nicaragua may have been a very different country with a canal running wealthy ships through it.
Greytown slowly deteriorated until it was completely destroyed by battles between the Contras and the Sandinistas in the 1980’s. Greytown was completely destroyed and there was little left but the graveyards and a few building foundations. The original inhabitants returned in the 90’s but decided not to rebuild the city in its original location. The new town was established a couple miles north of the ruins and renames back to San Juan del Norte.
The current population consists of mestizos from the Pacific Coast, creoles from the Atlantic Coast, and Rama Indians who were forced to leave their villages in the rainforest due to new regulations. Most people in San Juan del Norte make a living from fishing. There are no cars and within the village there are cement walkways for strolling through this tranquil town. There is a tiny, private airstrip that is not used by commercial planes.
You can visit the various historical sites such as one of the dredge used to try to build the as well as the stretch of canal that could have been the beginning. You can also visit the four different graveyards of Greytown with tombstones of British, Spanish, and American people and that is about all that remains of the original town.
Near San Juan del Norte there is a beautiful natural reserve. Small trails lead through the dense forest, where beautiful birds, frogs, snakes, and some mammals like deer can be seen. San Juan del Norte provides access to the Indio River, which leads directly into the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve. Several lagoons within the area furthermore provide shelter to manatees. These mammals live in quiet lagoons and rivers that are generally surrounded by nothing but forest. Manatees can be spotted by entering a lagoon or river by boat and then waiting for them to come to the surface.
Fishing
Everything you could ever want to fish in fresh and saltwater is in this river. How about Tarpon from 60 to 250 lb, Snook from 5 to 50 lb, Drums from 2 to 6 lb, Bull Sharks up to 400 lb, Saw fish up to 1800 lb? On the fresh water side there are Bass, Tiger bass, Rainbow bass, Machaca, Tropical Gar and Aligator Gar. And the list goes on and on.
Solentiname Islands
“Nearly every house in Solentiname has an artist or artisan living there”
Visit www.solentiname.org for more information and to see or buy their famous artwork.
The Solentiname Islands are an archipelago towards the southern end of Lake in the Nicaraguan department of Río San Juan. They are made up of four larger islands, each a few kilometers across, named, Mancarroncito, Mancarrón, San Fernando and La Venada, along with some 32 smaller islands which provide shelter to numerous aquatic birds. The islands’ origins are volcanic and the highest point in the islands is found on Mancarrón; it is 257 m above sea level. They constitute one of the 78 protected areas of Nicaragua.
The Solentiname Islands are tropical in every sense. They are covered in tropical tree species, transitional between wet and dry tropical and are home to various colorful bird species, including various kinds of parrot and toucans. The island of La Venada is known for its deer, and also named for them (venadois Spanish for "deer"). The yearly rainfall in the islands measures between 1 400 and 1 800 mm, with most of it falling between May and December. Solentiname's mean yearly temperature is 26 °C.
The islands’ tranquility and colorfulness are likely what has attracted artists to their shores. Painters and woodcarvers share the islands with farmers and fishermen. The archipelago's population is less than 1000, and its land area is about 38 km². Modern amenities, including electricity and running water, are quite rare in the islands.
Mancarrón is Solentiname's largest island. It is here that the priest and poet Ernesto Cardenal’s historical parish is to be found. Father Cardenal arrived in the islands in 1966 and is known for establishing a communal society for artists in the early 1970s which persists to this day. The community developed its own art movement based on existing folk forms, and with some help from painter Róger Pérez de la Rocha.
There is a small art gallery where the craftsmen and painters display their works: birds, mobiles featuring the local fauna carved out of balsawood, as well as much sought-after colorful primitivist Solentiname paintings, largely inspired by the islands’ rich wildlife and plant species.
For these very things, the Solentiname Islands have also been the object of ecotourism in recent years, although currently, they are still a somewhat obscure destination. However, there are now three hotels in the islands, two of which are quite new.
There are also important archaeological sites (including petroglyphs on San Fernando featuring images of parrots, monkeys, and people), the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge, a 400 km² marsh parallel to the lakeshore, home to both monkeys and alligators. Solentiname's agricultural products include avocado, cotton, sesame, corn, coffee and cacao.
There is some confusion over what the archipelago's name means. Some hold that it is from a Nahuatl word that means "covey of quail", and others say that it comes from the Nahuatl word Celentinametl, which means "place of many guests".
For a brief period in Nicaraguan history, the island of Solentiname provided a communal space for artistic experimentation and spiritual discovery. From 1965 to 1966, Ernesto Cardenal, a Nicaraguan priest and now-famous poet established a religious community on Solentiname. At that time, the campesinos, or farmers, were miserably poor. Painting about the struggles of daily life and the beautiful natural surroundings flourished in the community. It has grown from a small group of fishermen and campesinos to now over 50 painters and is recognized as Escuela Primitivista de Solentiname.
Roger Perez de la Rocha, a respected painter from Managua, was invited to Solentiname to teach painting techniques, while encouraging individual style and thought. This gave rise to a widespread fascination with art. Entire families started painting in a style that is now known as "primitivist." This art drew upon popular Central American imagery such as Chorotega and Nahuatl Indian weavings and painted gourds.
Before 1967, María Guevara S., one of Solentiname’s most gifted painters, had never seen paint or a paintbrush. It wasn’t until after she was introduced to the Nicaraguan painter, Róger Pérez de la Rocha, that she used either one and painted her first painting. “We thought they (paint tubes) looked like colored tooth paste,” said Guevara. “But when I saw the beautiful things that could be done with it, I knew I could do that too.”
The paintings are typified by idealized scenes of community life, lush natural environments and pastoral utopias, executed in bright colors and intricate detail. Some pieces of art represent nature as a dominant theme and might be associated with spirituality. Besides depicting their lifestyle and values, the painters incorporated a religious current that had a deep impact on them: liberation theology.
Some islands have more of the balsa carvings and others offer very beautiful primitive art paintings, treasured among many international collectors. There is a museum with a very good collection of artwork and information on the local ecological and cultural condition of the islands. The artists are very friendly and willing to have you enter their homes and watch them work on pieces which may be done by various members of the family. Because symbolism is important in the plastic arts, many artists will explain exactly what they were depicting on the canvas.
People in Solentiname led an archaic and simple existence before the “poeta” and “el pintor” got there. They still do, but now they have art in their lives—The poet and sculptor from Granada, Ernesto Cardenal, arrived in Solentiname in 1966 and was so impressed by the instinctual talent many of Solentiname’s inhabitants had for carving balsa wood and dried jícaro fruit that he invited his friend, the young Pérez de la Rocha, to the island. Together, they founded the popular Primitivist art school in Solentiname and trained many gifted artists to paint the natural beauty that surrounded them.. Primitivist art is characterized by its naiveté and its subject matter. The theme is usually every-day life, and in Solentiname, nature is an important part of every-day life. Various species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and even fish are normally depicted in these paintings. Primitivist paintings also almost always depict mountainous and volcanic backdrops, draped by fantastical sunrises and sunsets. Some paintings divide the canvas in moonlit, nighttime sceneries and bright sun-drenched landscapes.
They normally involve the element of water, as the Solentiname Archipelago is made up of more than 36 islands on the majestic Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua). Women can often be seen working hard on the lakeshore; fishermen are often out on their boats, hoping for a great catch; the faithful crowd into white quaint churches; and an indigenous-looking Mary and Baby Jesus, with Joseph by their side, are often portrayed under a star-lit Solentiname sky. The element of fantasy, although in a more subtle way, is very predominant in Primitivist paintings. Although the subject matter is always very real, its depiction is never done in a realistic style—Colors are brighter than normal, there are very little shadow or light effects portrayed, the size of the subjects in relation to their surroundings are never authentic, and perspective is seldom respected. But the mix of real, every-day themes represented in fantastical colors and in a naïve style ends up being just perfect. Painting in Solentiname has developed like a craft. Passed down from generation to generation, Primitivist painting is taught by parents to their children and subsequently their grandchildren. The themes never stray from the fantastical depiction of every-day life and the naïve style is ever constant.
The Arellano family is a good example of this phenomenon. Over six of the family members are painters, the youngest being Hazel and Julio. In the new Musas Museum, located on the archipelago’s Elvis Chavarría Island, stands a beautiful testament to the Arellano family’s talent. A group effort, the painting, “Vida Silvestre del Archipelago de Solentiname” (Wildlife of the Solentiname Archipelago), depicts the talents of the family’s patriarch, 62-year old Rodolfo Arellano, his wife, Elba Jimenez, and their two daughters, Silvia and Clarrisa Arellano.The work of almost all of Solentiname’s best painters is displayed in the Musas Museum. María Guevara S., has a collaboration with her gifted sisters, Miriam and Gloria and Esperanza, on exhibit in the museum. Although all of Solentiname’s painters also have other professions, (many are fishermen or farmers, María Guevara runs a small hotel on Elvis Chavarría), they are true artists at heart—Their imagination and passion for painting is evident in all their works. And although most of them lack “formal” visual arts training, they are all masters in their craft.
Río San Juan is a department in Nicaragua that was formed in 1957 from parts of Chontales and Zelaya. It covers an area of 7,473 km² and has a population of 95,500 (2005 census). The capital is San Carlos and it includes the Archipelago of Solentiname and the San Juan River, after which it is named.
The Rio San Juan river starts at the southwest corner of Lake Nicaragua (San Carlos), and flows for 119 miles (199 km) to the Caribbean Ocean (Greytown). A large section of the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica runs on the right bank of the river. It was part of a proposed route for a Nicaragua Canal in the 19th century. The idea of the project has been revived in the last decade, including the possibility of other routes within the country. Supposedly they have obtained a concession from the National Assembly of Nicaragua to re-open the San Juan River to commercial barge traffic. At this time, there are rapids that will only allow shallow drafted boats to pass.
History
The river was first discovered by the Spanish in 1525. The importance of a route to the ocean was realized and they sought to control it by the construction of the town, San Carlos. It was not until 1539 that were able to travel the river all of the way to the ocean. This provided the trading connection between Granada, Havana and other countries. Unfortunately the pirates also figured this out and quickly used the route to plunder Granada and even León.
The Spanish constructed as many as 12 fortresses along the San Juan river with the biggest being El Castillo (1675) that still exists in the town of El Castillo. This fortress had many encounters with pirates, American invasions and the British troops.
One of the Nicaraguan heroines, Rafaela Herrera, emerged here when her father, chief of command, was killed during an attack. Rafaela and her troops stood against a much more powerful force of invaders and successfully defended the river. Even the famous Horatio Nelson led a battle against the fort and although successful, was much too weak to continue and so, retreated.
Prior to the Panama Canal, the San Juan river was frequently used to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. During the California Gold Rush many people from all over the world traveled to California to mine for gold, tens of thousands of which took a steamboat that was operated by Cornelius Vanderbilt that took them through the river. At that time this route was much faster than the overland route across the United States. The discovery of gold in California drew additional attention from American and European powers who wanted to establish and control routes across Panama and Nicaragua. Americans, French and British were among the contenders, and in a move to control the route, the British occupied the Eastern seaboard port of San Juan del Norte between 1848 and 1850, renaming it Greytown.
Cornelius Vanderbilt established a highly profitable route across Nicaragua by waterway and carriage road. In 1851, he developed the route in competition with the Pacific Mail Line, which had joined the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the overland Panama route. The Panama route was laborious until the railroad was completed across the Isthmus in 1855.
Vanderbilt’s route was easier in that once passengers reached San Juan del Norte, on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, most of the journey between the oceans was covered in small boats (bungoes) and steamers. The bungoes ferried passengers and cargo up the San Juan River through 125 miles of jungles filled with howling monkeys and exotic birds, to Lake Nicaragua, then across Lake Nicaragua via steamer to La Virgen (Virgin Bay) near Rivas.
Unfortunately, the subsequent canal was built in Panama and interest was lost in the San Juan river. Nature took over and the river area remains a bountiful area of biodiversity.
The San Juan River is home to freshwater bull sharks that also go into Lake Nicaragua. This area is unique in that the mixing of the salt and fresh water allows both types of life to freely mix. Along with being a home to many different types of marine life, the San Juan River is abundant in biodiversity. The whole area is considered a tropical rain forest and the biodiversity is phenomenal. All along the river you can see hundreds of different bird species like: Chestnut Toucans, Harpy Eagles, Boat-billed herons, Great Egrets, Jacanas and Cormorants. Other species include caimans (crocodiles), turtles, monkeys, red arrow frogs.
The area just south of the Archipelago, and on the Nicaraguan side of the border with Costa Rica, is known as Los Guatuzos, a nature reserve to satisfy the most experienced naturalist. Birds, reptiles, and mammals of almost every description live in the exuberant foliage. Boat trips through the Solentiname islands and the preserves can be obtained in San Carlos.
Traveling down the San Juan River, in the direction of the Caribbean is by panga. The first major stop is El Castillo (Castillo La Inmaculada Concepción) where the ruins of the old Spanish fort stand on a hill guarding the one water route from Caribbean pirates, the British Navy and even North American attacks.
Many nature reserves have been established and strong conservation measures are taken, to keep civilization from intruding on the natural wonders of the area. It is now possible to take a boat from San Carlos all the way to the mouth of the Río San Juan at San Juan del Norte (once known as Greytown when the British controlled it).
What to See
Traveling downstream on the San Juan River you will encounter two main towns along the way, Sábalos and El Castillo.
Approximately two hours down the river you arrive at Sábalos. The Sábalos River joins the San Juan River here and the small village is located on both sides of this river. It is a small town but there are a few hotels and several private natural reserves including some hot water springs.
A little further down river is the historical village of El Castillo. It is named after the fortress that was built here during colonial times to protect the Spanish territory against pirates and other invaders. Currently, the fortress functions as a historical museum and there is a small library with an interesting collecting of historical, biological and other books. The fortress provides a great views of the river.
There are a few activities in El Castillo and it is rather picturesque having just walkways instead of streets. There are several hotels, restaurants, Internet access and a butterfly farm. They do offer tours including horseback riding, canoe trips, and other activities.
Boats are like buses here with boats going by constantly, just flag one down to get a ride. There is a bus from San Carlos to Sábalos.
Indio Maíz Biological ReserveThe Indio Maíz Biological Reserve is a very well-preserved natural area covered by tropical rainforest. It is huge being 3,180 km² with many rivers that flow through the reserve. The forest is the home to spectacular birds and beautiful mammals of which one is the jaguar, although spotting one will not be an easy task.
The reserve starts six kilometers past El Castillo and stretches all the way to the coast, and it includes a large territory north of the river, all the way up to the Maíz River. Entrance to the reserve is controlled by the ministry of natural resources (MARENA). There are two different places to enter the forest. One of them is in the southwestern corner, six kilometers downstream the San Juan River from El Castillo The other entrance is to enter the reserve via the Indio River, located at the southeastern side of the area. Much of this is unexplored though there is a hotel (Refugio Bartola) on the Bartola River.
San Juan del Norte and Greytown
At the other end of the river, San Juan del Norte has been part of many historical occurrences. Spanish conquerors established a small town and called it San Juan del Norte.
In the 1800s the town of was attacked by the British who joined forces with the Miskito Indians living in the area. The British won and the city was renamed to Greytown which became a wealthy town as the San Juan River gained importance as a route during the California Gold Rush. Greytown was then a home to a British consulate and commercial buildings like a bank and a casino. Cornelius Vanderbilt wanted to creatg a canal that would offer a short route from the Atlantic to the Pacific side. Using the natural flow of the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua, the canal should have been easier to build than at other sites. A small unsuccessful attempt was made to build the canal but serious engineering mistakes doomed the effort. We’ll never know if a Nicaragua route would have been more successful than the politically decided Panama route. Nicaragua may have been a very different country with a canal running wealthy ships through it.
Greytown slowly deteriorated until it was completely destroyed by battles between the Contras and the Sandinistas in the 1980’s. Greytown was completely destroyed and there was little left but the graveyards and a few building foundations. The original inhabitants returned in the 90’s but decided not to rebuild the city in its original location. The new town was established a couple miles north of the ruins and renames back to San Juan del Norte.
The current population consists of mestizos from the Pacific Coast, creoles from the Atlantic Coast, and Rama Indians who were forced to leave their villages in the rainforest due to new regulations. Most people in San Juan del Norte make a living from fishing. There are no cars and within the village there are cement walkways for strolling through this tranquil town. There is a tiny, private airstrip that is not used by commercial planes.
You can visit the various historical sites such as one of the dredge used to try to build the as well as the stretch of canal that could have been the beginning. You can also visit the four different graveyards of Greytown with tombstones of British, Spanish, and American people and that is about all that remains of the original town.
Near San Juan del Norte there is a beautiful natural reserve. Small trails lead through the dense forest, where beautiful birds, frogs, snakes, and some mammals like deer can be seen. San Juan del Norte provides access to the Indio River, which leads directly into the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve. Several lagoons within the area furthermore provide shelter to manatees. These mammals live in quiet lagoons and rivers that are generally surrounded by nothing but forest. Manatees can be spotted by entering a lagoon or river by boat and then waiting for them to come to the surface.
Fishing
Everything you could ever want to fish in fresh and saltwater is in this river. How about Tarpon from 60 to 250 lb, Snook from 5 to 50 lb, Drums from 2 to 6 lb, Bull Sharks up to 400 lb, Saw fish up to 1800 lb? On the fresh water side there are Bass, Tiger bass, Rainbow bass, Machaca, Tropical Gar and Aligator Gar. And the list goes on and on.
Solentiname Islands
“Nearly every house in Solentiname has an artist or artisan living there”
Visit www.solentiname.org for more information and to see or buy their famous artwork.
The Solentiname Islands are an archipelago towards the southern end of Lake in the Nicaraguan department of Río San Juan. They are made up of four larger islands, each a few kilometers across, named, Mancarroncito, Mancarrón, San Fernando and La Venada, along with some 32 smaller islands which provide shelter to numerous aquatic birds. The islands’ origins are volcanic and the highest point in the islands is found on Mancarrón; it is 257 m above sea level. They constitute one of the 78 protected areas of Nicaragua.
The Solentiname Islands are tropical in every sense. They are covered in tropical tree species, transitional between wet and dry tropical and are home to various colorful bird species, including various kinds of parrot and toucans. The island of La Venada is known for its deer, and also named for them (venadois Spanish for "deer"). The yearly rainfall in the islands measures between 1 400 and 1 800 mm, with most of it falling between May and December. Solentiname's mean yearly temperature is 26 °C.
The islands’ tranquility and colorfulness are likely what has attracted artists to their shores. Painters and woodcarvers share the islands with farmers and fishermen. The archipelago's population is less than 1000, and its land area is about 38 km². Modern amenities, including electricity and running water, are quite rare in the islands.
Mancarrón is Solentiname's largest island. It is here that the priest and poet Ernesto Cardenal’s historical parish is to be found. Father Cardenal arrived in the islands in 1966 and is known for establishing a communal society for artists in the early 1970s which persists to this day. The community developed its own art movement based on existing folk forms, and with some help from painter Róger Pérez de la Rocha.
There is a small art gallery where the craftsmen and painters display their works: birds, mobiles featuring the local fauna carved out of balsawood, as well as much sought-after colorful primitivist Solentiname paintings, largely inspired by the islands’ rich wildlife and plant species.
For these very things, the Solentiname Islands have also been the object of ecotourism in recent years, although currently, they are still a somewhat obscure destination. However, there are now three hotels in the islands, two of which are quite new.
There are also important archaeological sites (including petroglyphs on San Fernando featuring images of parrots, monkeys, and people), the Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge, a 400 km² marsh parallel to the lakeshore, home to both monkeys and alligators. Solentiname's agricultural products include avocado, cotton, sesame, corn, coffee and cacao.
There is some confusion over what the archipelago's name means. Some hold that it is from a Nahuatl word that means "covey of quail", and others say that it comes from the Nahuatl word Celentinametl, which means "place of many guests".
For a brief period in Nicaraguan history, the island of Solentiname provided a communal space for artistic experimentation and spiritual discovery. From 1965 to 1966, Ernesto Cardenal, a Nicaraguan priest and now-famous poet established a religious community on Solentiname. At that time, the campesinos, or farmers, were miserably poor. Painting about the struggles of daily life and the beautiful natural surroundings flourished in the community. It has grown from a small group of fishermen and campesinos to now over 50 painters and is recognized as Escuela Primitivista de Solentiname.
Roger Perez de la Rocha, a respected painter from Managua, was invited to Solentiname to teach painting techniques, while encouraging individual style and thought. This gave rise to a widespread fascination with art. Entire families started painting in a style that is now known as "primitivist." This art drew upon popular Central American imagery such as Chorotega and Nahuatl Indian weavings and painted gourds.
Before 1967, María Guevara S., one of Solentiname’s most gifted painters, had never seen paint or a paintbrush. It wasn’t until after she was introduced to the Nicaraguan painter, Róger Pérez de la Rocha, that she used either one and painted her first painting. “We thought they (paint tubes) looked like colored tooth paste,” said Guevara. “But when I saw the beautiful things that could be done with it, I knew I could do that too.”
The paintings are typified by idealized scenes of community life, lush natural environments and pastoral utopias, executed in bright colors and intricate detail. Some pieces of art represent nature as a dominant theme and might be associated with spirituality. Besides depicting their lifestyle and values, the painters incorporated a religious current that had a deep impact on them: liberation theology.
Some islands have more of the balsa carvings and others offer very beautiful primitive art paintings, treasured among many international collectors. There is a museum with a very good collection of artwork and information on the local ecological and cultural condition of the islands. The artists are very friendly and willing to have you enter their homes and watch them work on pieces which may be done by various members of the family. Because symbolism is important in the plastic arts, many artists will explain exactly what they were depicting on the canvas.
People in Solentiname led an archaic and simple existence before the “poeta” and “el pintor” got there. They still do, but now they have art in their lives—The poet and sculptor from Granada, Ernesto Cardenal, arrived in Solentiname in 1966 and was so impressed by the instinctual talent many of Solentiname’s inhabitants had for carving balsa wood and dried jícaro fruit that he invited his friend, the young Pérez de la Rocha, to the island. Together, they founded the popular Primitivist art school in Solentiname and trained many gifted artists to paint the natural beauty that surrounded them.. Primitivist art is characterized by its naiveté and its subject matter. The theme is usually every-day life, and in Solentiname, nature is an important part of every-day life. Various species of birds, reptiles, mammals, and even fish are normally depicted in these paintings. Primitivist paintings also almost always depict mountainous and volcanic backdrops, draped by fantastical sunrises and sunsets. Some paintings divide the canvas in moonlit, nighttime sceneries and bright sun-drenched landscapes.
They normally involve the element of water, as the Solentiname Archipelago is made up of more than 36 islands on the majestic Cocibolca (Lake Nicaragua). Women can often be seen working hard on the lakeshore; fishermen are often out on their boats, hoping for a great catch; the faithful crowd into white quaint churches; and an indigenous-looking Mary and Baby Jesus, with Joseph by their side, are often portrayed under a star-lit Solentiname sky. The element of fantasy, although in a more subtle way, is very predominant in Primitivist paintings. Although the subject matter is always very real, its depiction is never done in a realistic style—Colors are brighter than normal, there are very little shadow or light effects portrayed, the size of the subjects in relation to their surroundings are never authentic, and perspective is seldom respected. But the mix of real, every-day themes represented in fantastical colors and in a naïve style ends up being just perfect. Painting in Solentiname has developed like a craft. Passed down from generation to generation, Primitivist painting is taught by parents to their children and subsequently their grandchildren. The themes never stray from the fantastical depiction of every-day life and the naïve style is ever constant.
The Arellano family is a good example of this phenomenon. Over six of the family members are painters, the youngest being Hazel and Julio. In the new Musas Museum, located on the archipelago’s Elvis Chavarría Island, stands a beautiful testament to the Arellano family’s talent. A group effort, the painting, “Vida Silvestre del Archipelago de Solentiname” (Wildlife of the Solentiname Archipelago), depicts the talents of the family’s patriarch, 62-year old Rodolfo Arellano, his wife, Elba Jimenez, and their two daughters, Silvia and Clarrisa Arellano.The work of almost all of Solentiname’s best painters is displayed in the Musas Museum. María Guevara S., has a collaboration with her gifted sisters, Miriam and Gloria and Esperanza, on exhibit in the museum. Although all of Solentiname’s painters also have other professions, (many are fishermen or farmers, María Guevara runs a small hotel on Elvis Chavarría), they are true artists at heart—Their imagination and passion for painting is evident in all their works. And although most of them lack “formal” visual arts training, they are all masters in their craft.
Granada Time