In October 2025 some of our Year 10 – 13 students took part in an amazing Outdoor Learning trip to Nicaragua. Ellery, Debbie and Emma have written this account of their experiences:

From the beginning, it was clear this trip was going to be one none of us would ever forget. On the first day, we arrived at school, ready for our journey to Heathrow airport where we had a 9 hour flight to Miami. At the airport we met with our fantastic guides for the trip, Polly and Amber from Flooglebinder. When we arrived in Miami, we stayed in the hotel that was inside the airport. A few of us grabbed some food to refuel after a long haul flight, while others headed straight to their rooms for a well-deserved rest.

The next flight was a 2.5 hour flight from Miami to Nicaragua, there were some beautiful sights from up in the air, such as the San Juan river. Arriving in Managua, the capital, we were met with the sweltering heat, a wild change to the cold, damp weather we were used to. We then got introduced to our tour guides Alfonso and Julio. They took us to where we would be staying for that night and we had some lunch. After lunch, we went for a city tour of Managua and were introduced to the beautiful, rich history of the country. We headed back to the hotel and had some dinner before settling down to sleep.

 

 

On our first proper day in Nicaragua, we got buckled up in the minibus which would be our home for the next few days and started travelling towards a family owned coffee farm in order to learn more about how coffee was made and we even got to dance some traditional Nicaraguan dances with the children! It was a beautiful night.

On our second day, we hiked through the Somoto canyon, but due to unsafe conditions we were unable to actually go into the water, regardless it was very thrilling to see the river. In this particular location, a few of us were forced to brave the less than comfortable shower (which was pretty much just a hose) with a few unwanted guests, a spider and a frog.

Next, we travelled down to the beautiful city of Leon, to climb our first volcano for that trip, called Telica. To get there we travelled by 4×4 through the rocky terrain, it was rather exhilarating. Climbing the volcano was nothing short of difficult, as it was very rocky. However it was all made worth it when we arrived at the crater and got to watch the sunset from the top. When we got back to Leon, we were treated to a nice dinner at Via Via before we went back to the hotel.

 

The next morning, we were shown around the city by our lovely tour guide Julio, who gave us the run down of the history of Leon. We visited two beautiful churches which gave us amazing opportunities for photos. We also walked by some memorials for the students that died protesting in Leon. Finally, after lunch we packed our things and said a temporary goodbye to Julio and travelled down to Los Brasilles for the most important part of our trip.

Located on Los Brasilles Island, we travelled to a turtle conservation center for a total of four days. Living sustainably, we learned how small daily choices can have a big impact on the environment. Being surrounded by nature helped us better understand the importance of respecting and protecting the ecosystems we were living in.

One of the key activities we participated in was coastal clean-ups. We worked together to remove trash from beaches, which helped to reduce pollution and protect marine life. This activity showed us how harmful waste can be to coastal ecosystems and how vital it is to take responsibility for keeping these environments clean.

 

 

Another unforgettable part of the trip was helping with turtle hatchlings. We learned important facts about turtles, including their life cycles and the different species found in the area. Additionally, we were also able to assist the baby turtles as they made their way to the sea, which was a meaningful and powerful experience that highlighted the importance of conservation efforts. Moreover, we took part in mangrove restoration, planting mangroves that help protect the coastline and provide habitat for many species.

 

Turtle conservation

 

Throughout our stay here, we gained valuable knowledge about turtles, conservation and sustainability. Overall, our time on Los Brasilles Island was both educational and inspiring, and it encouraged us to become more aware of our role in protecting the environment. We love turtles!

After leaving the turtle project, with an abundance of eye-opening memories and remarkable new outlooks on life, we headed back to the vibrant city of Leon and despite thoroughly enjoying learning about sustainability at the turtle project, we were all thrilled to hear that we would have a chance to shower in warm, running water in our new hotel for the night. We awoke the next day, well-rested and excited for the activities to come, and after fueling up on a typical Nicaraguan breakfast consisting of tropical fruit, beans, rice, plantains and eggs, we set off on our journey to explore multiple volcanos.

The first volcano we visited was called Cerro Negro and it is the youngest volcano in Central America, so it’s still covered in ash and gravel – making it the perfect location for ‘volcano boarding’. We had to hike up Cerro Negro’s steep slopes for about an hour, some of us carrying wooden boards which were about a metre long, and although the walk was tiring, the view was unforgettable. After taking a few photos, we set off down the volcano at high speeds, sitting on our boards and leaning back as far as possible to increase our speed so that we could win races against our friends.

 

 

The second volcano we hiked up was adjacent to Cerro Negro, however it was much older and much taller, meaning that to get to the crater we would have to hike for just under 4 hours. Embarking on our steep journey, we began to list our favourite memories, share Nicaraguan sweets and we even saw a bunch of hollering monkeys in the trees above us – making it a truly unforgettable experience. Even our arrival at the top of the volcano was perfectly timed as it began to rain heavily just as we clambered into our tents for the rest of the night.

I must admit, waking up the next morning was certainly a shock; all of the mist and rain had shifted and it was now clear that we were over 1000 metres up in the air. But that wasn’t all: the smoking crater was now visible and luckily we got the chance to peer into it, before heading back down the volcano.

 

 

For the last two days of the trip, we travelled back around Nicaragua to visit lakes, another volcano and even a chocolate factory. But most importantly, we bid our farewells to the extraordinary country and people we met there. From the baby turtle ‘Robin’ we helped to hatch to the cultural dances we learnt on the very first day, our experience in Nicaragua was nothing short of incredible and I can speak on behalf of all the students who came when I say that it provided us with a once in a lifetime experience, which has left us empowered by extraordinary bonds and unforgettable memories.