Also known as "El pulmón de Managua" (*), El Chocoyero-El Brujo Natural Reserve is definitely the place for those people who enjoy nature, like exercising and want to get away from the city. Not too far from the capital city, this natural reserve is home to different types of animals and trees that provide a very pleasant coolness and a clean air to breath.


THE NAMES
     This natural reserve gets its name from its two cascades: El Chocoyero and El Brujo. The first cascade gets its for the reason that thousands of "chocoyos" (**) live in the cliffs around the waterfall. The second one was named that way by the local "campesinos" (3*), long time ago. They thought that the waterfall was somehow bewitched because when the water hit the ground, it disappeared instead of forming a little stream. In the present, it's clear why the water seems to "disappear", as the locals thought. Because the land where the water hits the ground is very sandy, it makes it seem like it disappears, but then reappears some 200 meters underground.


THE WATERFALLS: EL BRUJO
     This "mysterious" cascade is the hardest to get to. One has to take a very adventurous ecological walk of approximately 1.5 km and climb some 80 meters to reach it. The climbing could be pretty dangerous due to the wetness of the rocks; it's very slippery. El Brujo, at 25 meters high, maintains a constant 100 gallons/minute of pure water throughout the year, benefiting the nearby population and whoever can reach it.


THE WATERFALLS: EL CHOCOYERO
     Possibly, El Chocoyero's main attraction is not its 18-meter water drop, but its surroundings. The cliffs around this cascade are home to dozens of thousands of "chocoyos", making this one of the main reasons why thousands of people visit the reserve each year. El Chocoyero also contributes with the locals by providing some 60 gallons of pure water/minute.

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