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Lying in the southeast corner of Lago de Nicaragua, the Solentiname archipelago is made up of 36 islands of varying size which are becoming increasingly well known for their unspoilt natural beauty and remarkable bird and animal life . For a long time, though, it was the islands' colony of naif-art painters that brought fame to Solentiname. Priest and poet Ernesto Cardenal lived here for many years, writing and preaching liberation philosophy before becoming the Sandinistas' Minister of the Interior in the 1980s. His poetry and his promotion of the archipelago's primitive art and artisan skills brought Solentiname culture to the attention of the outside world, and it was Cardenal's work that led to the government declaring Solentiname a national monument in 1990. The archipelago's largest islands are also the most densely inhabited: Mancarron, La Venada, San Fernando and Mancarroncito . Most people stay on Mancarron, where the islands' main hotel is located, and make trips to San Fernando and other nearby islands. Much of the wildlife in the area corresponds to that of northern Costa Rica, just over the border, and the dense jungles stretching from the eastern shore of Lago de Nicaragua to the Caribbean. The opulent birdlife includes parrots, macaws, egrets, storks and many kingfishers, while much of the islands' vegetation is pristine tropical forest. Solentiname's isolation keeps all but the most determined independent travellers away, although tourist traffic in the form of organized tours is increasing. Travellers who give up trying to figure out the confusing and changeable boat schedules often come on a tour organized from Managua or Granada. There's absolutely nothing to do in Solentiname, except hunt out some of the pintores primitivos , if your Spanish is up to it. Make sure you bring plenty of cordobas with you - there's nowhere to change money on the islands.
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