San Juan River (Nicaragua)

BW

Rio San Juan ( 2009)

The San Juan River originates at the southeast end of Lake Nicaragua in San Carlos and flows to its mouth, 199 km east through tropical rainforest. It ends at San Juan de Nicaragua (formerly Greytown ) into the Caribbean Sea.

From Bartola to the mouth of the river bank forms the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica, where the river belongs to the whole length of the Nicaraguan territory.

River

In the upper reaches, between Nicaragua and El Castillo, the river is wide and flows quietly and curvy by a relatively well -populated area with numerous settlements and pasture. From El Castillo there are passages in which rapids of the river to a raging waters are let. The banks here consist of tropical rain forest and there is only a sparse settlement. Between El Castillo and the mouth of the San Juan River flows through the nature reserve of La Reserva Indio Maiz -. In the river there are numerous elongated, covered by tropical vegetation islands.

About 25 miles off the mouth of the river divides into several arms and forms a delta with numerous lagoons and islands (eg, the Isla Calero, and the Isla Brava). The largest of the estuaries, the Río Colorado, flows on Costa Rican territory in the Caribbean ( 10 ° 48 '2 " N, 83 ° 35' 15" W10.800477 - 83.587446 ). On the coast is the town of Barra del Colorado.

The San Juan River is navigable except in the region of the rapids and the delta for larger ships.

History

Christopher Columbus was from 1502, explored on the fourth voyage to the New World to find when attempting a sea route to the west and the Caribbean coast. 1525 came the first Spaniards over the Río San Juan in Nicaragua to Granada. However, their search for a relationship of the lake with the Pacific was unsuccessful. The Spanish Conquistadors called the river Rio Desaguadero.

In the 17th century often came pirates across the river in Lake Nicaragua, and sacked the rich city of Granada. But English ships succeeded in the passage, so that the Spaniards in 1672 decided to build a fort at El Castillo in order to stop the constant invasions stop. The fort was completed in 1675.

At the end of the 19th century, the San Juan River has been the subject of an ambitious plan. The Río San Juan should be developed for ships and between Lake Nicaragua and the Pacific should be a channel to connect the Atlantic and the Pacific. The plan of the Nicaragua Canal competed with the plan to realize the project in Panama. Finally, the construction of the Panama Canal has been implemented.

From the jungle covered, located at the mouth of the river the remains of the English colonization Greytown near the town of San Juan del Norte. To Boom time early 20th century this city attracted many fortune seekers. After setting the canals, the city was abandoned.

In the war of the Contras against the Sandinistas, the area was contested at Greytown and heavily mined.

For a long time between Costa Rica and Nicaragua disputed whether the border ran through the middle of the river or on the south bank. Again and again occurred minor military skirmishes. 2005 came after a meeting between the two presidents to a rapprochement and 2009, said the International Court of Justice in The Hague the river to Nicaragua - the territory of Costa Rica begins on the south bank. As in October 2010, workers from Nicaragua were unloading mud from the river to the city, in river delta island of Isla Calero, there was a new round in this dispute. Early 2011, the affiliation of the Isla Calero was brought before the International Court of Justice.

Points of contention

Since last few years, the plans to build a Nicaragua Canal were again considered public and concrete, now property disputes between Costa Rica and Nicaragua already lead to a high rivalry between the inhabitants of both countries. Murders are increasingly publicized committed to Nicaraguans who were staying as (often illegal) workers in Costa Rica. For more, see the article Nicaragua Canal.

Traffic

From the starting point of the river in San Carlos on Lake Nicaragua run regularly small passenger and supply boats down the river about El Castillo to San Juan del Norte. Due to silting of the river a through motor vehicles is only possible in water-rich periods. In times of low rainfall small boats persons by hand through the shallows are punted. Again and again remain larger tour boats stuck. This result for the tourist development significant limitations. The supply of fuel for the outboard engines is a big problem.

Tourism

For several years, a modest tourism has established itself in the region of the Rio San Juan. Individual travelers, tours and lodge tourism are the hallmarks. Especially in the side arms and the mouth of well-heeled tourists ( mostly U.S. citizens ) flew over Costa Rica in exclusive all-inclusive lodges. By better Anschließung the town of San Carlos to Granada ( new fast ferries across Lake Nicaragua ) and Managua (regional flights) and more tourists come to the region.