3 Best Sights in Raista, La Mosquitia

Not that you'll need it here (unless you really plan poorly), but local guides in Raista offer a five-hour training session in jungle survival skills. The course teaches how to find sources of food and drinkable water, how to spot medicinal plants and natural mosquito repellents, plus orientation in the jungle.

Spend a cultural hour with the local women's group around an evening bonfire. The women perform traditional Miskito dances and songs, along with ancient stories that have been shared from generation to generation.

This four- to five-hour day trip starts across the lagoon in the nearby lowland rain forest, where spotting troops of howler monkeys is possible, albeit unguaranteed. Hikers set off through the jungle on a moderately difficult hike and plunge into the refreshing Paru Creek with inner tubes in hand. From there, it's a tranquil float downstream with bird-watching and wildlife spotting above in the rain-forest canopy.