Spanish Colonial Forts

When I was a child, I was always building forts -- snow forts, sand forts, tree forts, cardboard-box forts, you name it. I don’ know what this obsession stemmed from. Perhaps it had something to do with wanting to feel safe. Or maybe I had just seen too many pirate movies and Westerns. Whatever the reason, my love of forts followed me into adulthood, and it persists to this day. 

Not surprisingly, during my travels in Latin America, I have sought out and photographed forts of all kinds. The Spanish built dozens of them along the coasts of Mexico and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean. These imposing structures helped protect Spain’s colonies in the New World from foreign navies and raids by the likes of English and Dutch pirates. 

Below is a slide-show of forts in Latin America that I have explored. Each has a distinct personality. Some like the San Juan de Ulua fortress in Veracruz, Mexico, are forbidding and dungeon-like. Others are airy and even inviting like Acapulco’s Fuerte San Diego, whose sunlit interior has been painted bright yellow. However, all of these historical buildings have something in common: behind their high stone walls surmounted by rusty cannon lie stories begging to be told.

Move the cursor over the screen to read captions. Click on individual images to read captions. Click on individual images to see enlargements and for information on ordering prints or leasing photos for personal or editorial use,


Spanish Colonial Forts - Images by John Mitchell

Big Corn Island, Nicaragua

It's always refreshing to find a tropical hideaway that hasn't been overrun by mass tourism. In October of this year, I was fortunate enough to visit just such a place: Big Corn Island, an idyllic patch of white sand and greenery languishing some 80 kilometers off Nicaragua's Caribbean coast. Most of Big Corn Island's black inhabitants are of Jamaican descent and speak English. The island reminded me of the Cayes in Belize, but it is less built up and not nearly as expensive.

It would be difficult to envision a spot more peaceful than Big Corn Island. Nonetheless there are problems in paradise. Colombian drug runners sometimes use the island as a stopover. The resulting cocaine trade has led to reports of thefts and assaults. However, the island's untrammeled beaches and easygoing ways more than make up for these shortcomings. There are plenty of affordable hotels and restaurants on Big Corn Island, and as yet there is only one luxury resort, Casa Canada. The best news is that locals seem intent on keeping developers at bay, so the chances of Big Corn Island becoming the next Cancun any time soon are remote.

La Costeña airlines has daily flights to Big Corn Island from Managua. Please click on the link below to read a newspaper travel article that I wrote about Big Corn Island.

Big Corn Island

Move the cursor over the slide-show below to view captions. Click on images to see information about ordering prints or downloading images for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Big Corn Island, Nicaragua - Images by John Mitchell

Gracious Granada, Nicaragua

According to an old saying, "Granada is Nicaragua; the rest is just mountains." Anyone who has traveled in Nicaragua knows this to be hyperbole. Nonetheless, this handsome Spanish colonial city on the shores of Lake Nicaragua has evolved into the country’s unofficial "tourism capital." In October, I made my third visit to Granada since 1998 and was happy to find that it has not yet become a victim of its own popularity. New hotels and restaurants keep popping up, and the inevitable tour buses have arrived. However, the city retains its tranquil atmosphere, plus strict building laws ensure that all restoration work and new construction adhere to original colonial designs. With its dignified churches, elegant plazas, colourful facades, and ubiquitous horse-drawn carriages, Granada promises to remain one of the most charming and photogenic cities in Latin America.

Click on the two links below to read a travel article that I wrote about Granada.

Granada Page 1

Granada Page 2

Move the cursor over the slide-show below to view captions. Click on images to see information about ordering prints or downloading images for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Granada, Nicaragua - Images by John Mitchell

Coffee Ecotourism in Nicaragua

Coffee growing and ecotourism seem an unlikely brew, but this is just what two innovative fincas in the highlands of Nicaragua are experimenting with. On a recent visit to Finca Esperanza Verde (which means "Green Hope Farm") and Selva Negra, both situated in misty cloud forest near the city of Matagalpa, I was able to experience firsthand how coffee production can be complemented by sustainable tourism.



These two plantations offer comfortable eco-friendly lodging, home-grown organic food along with birdwatching, hiking, and numerous other outdoor activities. Guests can learn about where their morning cup of organic, shade-grown coffee comes from. They also get to see solar power, waste recycling, and other green technologies at work. Both these fincas have been certified by the Rainforest Alliance, an organization dedicated to conserving biodiversity and building sustainable livelihoods for local people.

Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

The inflight magazine of air transat recently published my story on Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua, which I visited in late 2006. Please click on the following link to read it online: Nicaragua's Oasis of Peace

Move the cursor over the slide-show below to view captions. Click on images to see information about ordering prints or downloading images for personal, editorial, or commercial use.


Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua - Images by John Mitchell

Nicaragua's Revolutionary Murals

During the 1980's, when the Sandinista government was in power, hundreds of revolutionary murals were painted on buildings and walls throughout Nicaragua. These vibrant "billboards of the people" celebrated the socialist ideals of the 1979 Sandinista Revolution, which were still fresh in the national consciousness. Sadly, after the Sandinistas lost the 1990 Nicaraguan elections, many of these artistic treasures were defaced or painted over.

Some of the best murals were executed in the handsome colonial city of Leon, which has always been a hotbed of leftist activity. On a return trip to Nicaragua in the fall of 2006, I was happy to see that the murals I had enjoyed almost ten years earlier still adorned Leon's walls. Like the ideals of the revolution, they had faded somewhat, but they were still intact.



My favourite mural covers the entire wall of a large building next to Leon's massive cathedral. A series of panels document the history of Nicaragua from the arrival of Nahuatl-speaking tribes from central Mexico during the 13th century to the toppling of the Samoza regime by the Sandinistas. The final section presents an idyllic future for Nicaragua with two children shown romping in a green field backed by a shimmering lake and smoking volcanos.



Across the street, another mural shows revolutionary leader Augusto Sandino stepping on the heads of both Uncle Sam and one of the Samoza dictators who oppressed Nicaraguans for much of the 20th century. Some of Leon's most compelling murals can be found in the Casa XXI, a former prison that has now been turned into the Museo de Tradiciones y Leyendas. These sombre works depict prisoners being tortured by Samoza's infamous National Guard.

Moon's Nicaragua Handbook

A constant companion during my latest trip to Nicaragua was the Moon Handbook Nicaragua (Avalon Travel Publishing, second edition) by Randy Wood and Joshua Berman. This highly recommendable guidebook is thorough and well-researched. Its authors show an impressive knowledge of Nicaragua's history, politics, and culture. They also supply a lot of good information on ecotourism and volunteering opportunities in Nicaragua. The maps are not indexed and consequently somewhat difficult to decipher (a shortcoming of all Moon Handbooks). Otherwise, it's by far the best Nicaragua guide currently available.

Nicaragua Redux

In October, 2006, I revisited Nicaragua after almost a ten-year absence. The presidential election campaigns were in full swing, and former Sandinista guerilla leader Daniel Ortega was predicted to win (which he eventually did). I found that much has changed in this land of revolution, and much remains the same. There are definite signs of economic growth. However, life for most Nicaraguans is still a day-to-day struggle for survival.

Nicaragua’s dramatic volcanic landscapes, vast lakes, handsome Spanish colonial cities, and welcoming people make it one of the most alluring countries in Latin America. Nicaraguans generally embrace increased tourism, seeing it as a way to create jobs and bring needed investment. Please check back for posts about some of the places that I visited in Nicaragua and suggestions for anyone wishing to explore this painfully beautiful and addictive country.