The Cerro Datanlí-El Diablo Nature Reserve covers cloud forest on the mountains northeast of Jinotega and is one of the best places in Nicaragua for birdwatching and highland forest hiking. The reserve protects an intact cloud forest ecosystem at elevations between 900 and 1,650 metres, with a biodiversity that includes several dozen endemic or threatened bird species.
Trails lead from the park entrance through primary forest, past waterfalls and viewpoints. The hike to the summit takes several hours and requires a reasonable level of fitness; the paths are slippery when wet, which in a cloud forest is much of the time. A local guide is recommended — both for safety and for spotting birds that an untrained eye would miss entirely. Guides can be arranged through community tourism organisations in Jinotega town. Bring rain gear regardless of the forecast.