Nicaragua's better known traveler destinations – Granada and San Juan del Sur – remain charming and inviting, not to mention a great place to meet other travelers. But let Moon Nicaragua take you deeper afield to adventures you not only can't find elsewhere in Nicaragua, but can't find elsewhere in the world. Dust off your adventure hat, and say hello to the Rio Coco, possibly Central America's most remote and under-serviced region. You'll need an adventurer's spirit and a good sense of humor, but Nicaragua's northeast is gorgeous, despite the wallop it took from Hurricane Felix in 2007.

Start from Managua with a quick flight to Nicaragua's Miskito business capital, Puerto Cabezas, named for an early president. They speak as much English as Spanish in this area, but you'll hear a lot of Miskito, the local language, on the streets as well. From there, take a morning bus up to the distant riverside community of Waspam, the cultural and social heart of the Miskito community. From there, how far you make it upstream depends on you.

While traveling Nicaragua's miskito coast, don't forget to sample the delicious coconut-inspired local cuisine, enjoy the phenomenal seafood, and take it easy. Outside of Puerto Cabezas we recommend the deep and inviting Tuapi swimming hole; or the gorgeous beach of Kabu Payaska (visit with a friend or group). Or better still, use your time in Puerto to arrange a guided tour of the Miskito communities with the kind folks at AMICA, who specialize in these trips. Before long you too will find yourself on a little wooden canoe paddling slowly up the Rio Coco, the longest and most amazing river in Central America.