TDI: 2-3 What's this?
 | Travel Info Nicaragua is your ultimate travel guide. It covers all the essential information, neatly organized, and easy to navigate. |
Table of contents:
- Why to visit / Why not to visit
- Facts / Religion / Language
- Brief history
- Climate
- National holidays
- Visa
- Topography (map)
- Get in
- Get around
- Popular tourist destinations
- Health / Safety
- Accommodation
- Food / Drink
- Other things to Keep in mind
- 10 Best Places to Visit
Why to visit
- It’s relatively safe, cheap, and friendly
- Great for hiking, beaches, authentic villages, colonial buildings, exploring the exotic and diverse nature
- No mass tourism & tourist-harassing
- Food is more natural, hence of much better quality than in the EU & the US
Why not visit
If you really can’t stand hot weather, humidity, and mosquitoes.
Facts
Capital: Managua (also the largest city: 1,263,000)
Currency: Cordoba (some places except USD)
Area: 130,375 km2
Population: 6,224,000
Electricity: 120V/60Hz (US plug)
Language
- Spanish (official and the most spoken)
- Hi – Hola
- Thanks – Gracias
- Good – Bueno
- English (Mosquito region, Caribbean coast)
- Indigenous languages (Small indigenous communities, usually on the Caribbean side)
Religion
85% Christian, 14% not religious, 1% other
Brief history
- Ancient times – inhabited by various indigenous cultures
- Conquered by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century.
- Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821.
- The Mosquito Coast (Caribbean) – colonized by the English in the 17th century, became an autonomous territory of Nicaragua in 1860
- Since the independence of Nicaragua, periods of political unrest, dictatorship, occupation, and fiscal crisis (Nicaraguan Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, Contra War of 1980)
- Current democratic constitution – 1987; Nicaragua enjoyed solid & steady growth until the 2018 protests, boycotts, and roadblocks against the policies of President Ortega
Climate
- Tropical in the lowlands, cooler in the highlands
- The best time to go is December, which is the coolest & has the lowest rainfall.
| hottest/coldest | Managua (capital) | Bluefields(Caribbean) | Jinotega(highlands) |
| April | 34°C / 93°F | 32°C / 89°F | 24°C / 75°F |
| December | 29°C / 84°F | 28°C / 83°F | 18°C / 65°F |
National holidays
- 1. January – New Year’s Day
- Holy Thursday
- Good Friday
- Easter
- 1. May Labor Day
- 19. July – Liberation Day/FSLN Revolution Day)
- 14. September – Battle of San Jacinto
- 15. September – Independence Day
- 12. October – Indigenous Resistance Day
- 2. November – All Souls’ Day
- 08. December – Immaculate Conception
- 25. December – Christmas Day
Tourist visa info
- EU & Schengen – visa-free
- US – visa-free
- Israel – visa-free
- Canada – visa-free
- Australia – visa-free
- Japan – visa-free
- South Korea
- Brasil – visa-free
- Argentina – obtain a tourist card for $10 at the border (also valid in the other CA-4 countries, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras)
There is also a 32$ departure tax (flights only) – at some airlines, it’s included in the flight itinerary.
Topography
Get in
1. By plane
- Managua International Airport – Augusto C. Sandino (20km from the city), operated by American Airlines, Delta, United, Spirit, Aeromexico, Avianca, Copa, and Nature Air.
Airport Taxis charge 15 USD. Alternatively, you can take a local bus on the highway, just outside of the airport’s parking lot.
Check out this useful post on How to save money on flights.
2. By bus
Express services to Managua (comfortable, convenient, and more pricey) usually require purchasing tickets in advance or online:
- San Jose, Costa Rica (also stopping briefly in Rivas and Granada)
- San Salvador, El Salvador (stopping briefly in Leon)
Alternatively, you can connect buses from smaller cities. This option is a lot cheaper, less comfortable, and more adventurous:
- Choluteca, Honduras – Chinandega, Nicaragua
- Liberia, Costa Rica – Rivas, Nicaragua
3. By boat
Los Chiles, Costa Rica – San Carlos, Nicaragua – you can take a “lancha” (small boat) across the Rio Frio (that would be the only option, since there is no road crossing).
4. By car
To Honduras: 3 borders: Las Manos (from Tegucigalpa), El Espino (Pan-American Highway), and Guasale (for León).
To Costa Rica, use Penas Blancas (Panamerican Highway)
Foreigners have to pay USD12 to enter any land border. This applies even to those with CA-4 visas (from Honduras).
Check out my photo gallery from Nicaragua!
Get around
1. By bus
Most of the buses are old yellow US school buses. The driver frequently picks up vendors that sell snacks and drinks during the ride.
Minibuses cost a little more than the school buses, but they are faster and make fewer stops
Express Bus service is offered between the larger cities. For this option, advance purchase is recommended.
2. By boat
Ometepe island, Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca)
Keep in mind that boat service can be canceled due to high winds or bad weather. Rivas-Moyagalpa is a regular ferry route that can get you to the island.
Corn Islands, Caribbean
- Bluefields – Big Corn Island – The Rio Escondido boat (departs only on Wednesdays at 9 AM)
- Big Corn to Little Corn – Panga boat
- Departs daily at 10 AM and 4:30 PM
- return daily at 6:30 AM and 1:30 PM
3. By plane
Managua – Big Corn Island – La Costena airline
4. By car
- There are no tolls in Nicaragua
- Most countries accept driver’s licenses for up to 30 days.
- Roads on the Pacific Coast are in good condition, for the most part. Although heavy rains can make driving challenging.
- Roads on the Caribbean side are rarely paved and can be impassable during the rainy season.
- Avoid driving in Managua cause it’s very chaotic.
- The general speed limit on freeways is 100 km/h; in cities, it is 45 km/h; and on all other roads, it is 60 km/h.
- Beware, the police love stopping the rental cars to collect “fines” from tourists
- Keep in mind: If in a car accident, you absolutely must not move your car a single inch. If you have to, wait until the police arrive and ask for permission.
4. By thumb
Hitchhiking is common in more rural areas and small towns, but not recommended in Managua. It is more common to try to get in the back of a truck, not inside of a vehicle.
Popular tourist destinations
Cities
- Managua – the capital, with a relatively bad reputation for tourism. However, it’s a great base for the lakes and volcanoes just outside of the city, as well as some cool parks and historic places within the city.
- Esteli provides a more authentic Nicaraguan experience. The climate is more pleasant than in the rest of the country (at an elevation of 844 m). The city’s got easy access to popular nature reserves: Miraflor and Tisey.
- Leon – one of the most popular tourist destinations, famous for colonial architecture, plenty of Vulcanos, and peaceful beaches just outside of the city.
- Granada – another must-visit destination – is an adorable colonial town on Lake Nicaragua, with epic views of the Mombacho volcano.
- San Juan del Sur – the famous Nicaraguan Pacific city
- Bluefields – this unusual Caribbean city’s got autonomy due to its unique colonial & indigenous culture. Tourists tend to use it (unfortunately) only as a transit point to some of the Caribbean treasures: Laguna de Perlas, Corn Islands, and the Pearl Cays.
Other destinations
- Little & Big Corn Island – Caribbean paradise islands, easily connected with the affordable boat
- Bosawas reserve– this UNESCO biosphere reserve is the second-largest rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, after the Amazon in Brazil. It’s generally unexplored and is extremely rich in biodiversity.
- Somoto Canyon – One of the most famous natural tourist attractions.
- El Castillo – a cute historic river town, without car traffic. It’s also known for its fort and access to the magnificent shores of the San Juan River.
- Isla Ometepe – Exotic island inside Lake Nicaragua with several authentic villages and 2 volcanos. This site is a Must-visit!
- Laguna de Apoyo – clear water surrounded by mountains, within a crater of an inactive volcano.
- Las Peñitas – a quiet beach town – surf spot
- Pearl Lagoon – a quaint Caribbean town with unique Creole & Miskito Indian culture.
- Playa Maderas – one of the most popular beach towns on the Pacific side
- Reserva Natural Miraflor – famous for biodiversity, coffee growing, and one of the richest orchid zones in the world.
- Solentiname Islands – tiny bohemian islands in Lake Nicaragua
- Tisey Natural Reserve – this mountain rainforest is great for nature and rural tourism.
- Volcanoes – They are abundant in Nicaragua. Many of them are still active! Some of the most popular ones are Cerro Negro, Masaya, Mogoton, Mombacho, Telica, and San Cristóbal.
Health
- Mosquitos love hanging out in this country!
- Tap water is generally not recommended for drinking. Depends on what part of the country. It definitely is, in the highlands.
- Dengue fever is present in some areas and is transmitted by a type of mosquito that is active at night.
- Malaria could be a threat on the Caribbean coast or along the Rio San Juan.
Safety
- Most of the crime the country is famous for occurs between gang members in the Managua neighborhoods you normally wouldn’t go to.
- Managua is sketchy when the night falls.
- Even in the smaller cities, be cautious after 9 PM (there may be thieves taking daily trips from Managua to Granada and Leon and jeopardizing the safe-tourist zones)
- Keep an eye on your pockets in the crowded buses
Accommodation
The abundance of hotels, hostels, and guesthouses at low prices. Most of it is listed online. Camping in the mountains is a common option.
Food
- A typical dish contains rice, red beans, and either fish or meat. Plantains are also pretty common.
- Nicaraguan corn tortillas are a bit thicker (almost like pita)
- You can easily find the kind of food Mexico is famous for (tacos, empanadas, tamales)
- Check out the buffet-style restaurants/stalls called Fritanga
Drink
- Rum is the most common booze. Flor de Cana is the most popular local brand, offering different types, from light to aged.
- From beers, try out Victoria Lager.
- Pinolillo is a delicious non-alcoholic drink made from cocoa beans, corn, and milk, and usually includes some cinnamon.
- Try some of the juices, refrescos, made out of tropical fruit (coconut, cantaloupe, papaya, tamarind, dragon-fruit, star-fruit, papaya)
Other things to keep in mind
- If you do more research, you’ll find that in some videos or articles, Nicaragua is referred to as “Nica” (spelled just like the city in the French Riviera).
- If you don’t speak any Spanish and that really worries you, go to the Caribbean, where English is pretty common (or Granada and Leon, cause they’re the most touristy).
For further reading, check out the 10 Best Places to Visit in Nicaragua and their surrounding areas!