8 Things That Shocked Me About Visiting Nicaragua For The First Time

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I’m simply over midway via a Central American journey, after beginning in Panama and dealing my means as much as Mexico, a visit which I’m finishing in 5 months whereas working full-time on-line as a digital nomad.

While each nation has been superb (I’m penning this from the completely beautiful Antiqua, Guatemala) one nation has stood out as an surprising spotlight.

I’m speaking about The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes itself, Nicaragua.

Sunset in the streets of Ometepe Island with the Concepción volcano in the background, a bus in the front

Being American, most of all the pieces I had heard about Nicaragua earlier than planning this journey was not optimistic, to say the least.

Let me wholeheartedly say that I’m so glad I didn’t hearken to the misguided warnings and that I used to be in a position to spend a month traversing my means throughout this beautiful Central American gem.

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Nicaragua is actually not the only country in Central America that continues to be a bit undiscovered, and there are many in this region that you need to add to your journey plans this 12 months.

Every day and each new place in Nicaragua was a nice shock, however listed here are 8 issues that actually shocked me:

The Safety

Let’s begin with the one factor that involves thoughts if you first hear about touring in Nicaragua. Is it protected?

While some media protection on the nation and its management doesn’t paint the nation in the perfect gentle, as a traveler there for a month, I by no means skilled something that made me really feel unsafe.

That being mentioned, I wouldn’t stroll round many locations after darkish, however I wouldn’t do that in most international locations at the moment. Some research have proven that Nicaragua has a decrease crime fee than its rather more widespread neighbor of Costa Rica (one other nation I by no means felt unsafe in).

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Fisherment preparing to go fishing in Lake Managua, Nicaragua

Nicaragua is the second poorest nation within the Western Hemisphere, and touring from one location to the following, you will note this firsthand.

There is loads of poverty right here, though from what I noticed, it was principally within the countryside, and the cities didn’t appear to have too dangerous of a homeless drawback.

Currently, Nicaragua has a degree 3 journey advisory from the U.S. State Department, principally resulting from restricted healthcare availability and poor legislation enforcement points.

As a traveler, when you keep in the primary vacationer areas corresponding to San Juan Del Sur, Granada, Ometepe Island, Leon, and the Corn Islands, try to be superb, though I might completely carry medical health insurance with you.

Urban skyline of Granada city at sunset with its spanish colonial architecture, colorful cathedral and beautiful rooftops with the Nicaragua Lake in the background, Nicaragua, Central America

The Nature and Wildlife

For a rustic that is named the land of lakes and volcanoes, it certain has… effectively, loads of them. One exercise many do right here is volcano boarding down the spectacular Cerro Negro, simply reachable from Leon.

I opted for a extra laid-back expertise and headed to Laguna de Apoyo simply exterior Granada, the place you’ll be able to chill and swim all day within the volcanic lagoon after which take a simple hike as much as the highest of Masaya Volcano to see the sundown and the effervescent lava (one of many solely locations on the earth you’ll be able to see this!)

Masaya Volcano with visible lava pool and glowing exhaust fumes and gases in twilight, Masaya, Nicaragua, Central America.

Nicaragua has about 7% of the world’s biodiversity, and you will note lovely nature in all places you flip. The birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and all the pieces in between will shock you.

I skilled most of this on the superb Ometepe Island, the place I used to be awoken by howler monkeys, noticed spiders larger than my hand (in my bathe, no much less) and large iguanas simply chillin’ across the garden.

Aside from these creatures, the sheer quantity of colourful and interesting birds I noticed in Nicaragua actually gave Costa Rica a run for its cash.

The Colors

On a stroll within the little city of Moyogalpa one night, I commented on all of the paint shops that this small city had. To which my husband replied, “Have you seen the houses?!”

I needed to snicker as a result of, sure, after all there’s a paint retailer on each nook, as a result of each home on this nation is painted some neon shiny colour, one after the following.

The entire metropolis of Granada, for instance, seems prefer it may need been painted to be an Instagram backdrop, however nope. They are simply colourful right here.

The colours of locations like this in Central America are one factor I’ll undoubtedly miss when this journey is finished.

The Beaches

Let me get this out of the best way proper now; I’m on no account a surfer. I’m rather more of a let’s seize a drink and watch the sundown form of traveler.

That being mentioned, I do recognize a very good seaside city with a browsing vibe. The southern city of San Juan Del Sur is strictly that and makes a simple begin for any journey via Nicaragua, because it’s simply over the border from Costa Rica.

_back view of a young girl sitting on a swing overlooking the volcano concenpcion on ometepe island, Nicaragua

With a Jesus statue that may remind you of a mini Rio De Janeiro and extra locations to eat and drink than you would presumably get via, this seaside city is one to remain some time and chill.

On the coast alongside the Pacific you’ll discover different smaller cities, corresponding to Playa Mardras and Playa El Coco, each good choices for a really quiet vibe. In the northern a part of Nicaragua’s Pacific coast, you’ll find one other widespread seaside city of Las Penitas.

Across the nation, situated about 50 miles into the Caribbean, you’ll discover the idyllic Corn Islands, and whereas I couldn’t embrace them on this journey resulting from time, they’re undoubtedly on my radar for an additional go to.

The Ease Of Travel

Before this journey, I had loads of reservations about touring round Central America. I used to be uncertain if it might be straightforward to navigate the transportation and how you can attain all of the (ever-growing) variety of locations I needed to incorporate.

However, the perfect factor about Central America is that getting from level A to level B could be as straightforward or as low-cost as you make it.

Chicken busses join your entire sub-continent kind of and oftentimes price lower than a cup of espresso.

Next up is shared shuttles, which I used 99% of the time, principally resulting from time restraints and being previous and cranky and never wanting to hold my (additionally ever-growing) backpack round.

Where any customer will probably need to go in Nicaragua is effectively related by transportation, and shuttle busses usually price lower than $30 an individual, with door-to-door drop-off.

It’s price noting that personal drivers can be fairly low-cost right here as effectively, and I used them just a few occasions after I couldn’t make shuttle occasions resulting from work. The greatest tip is to get a card from one you want and preserve utilizing them.

Undiscovered Gem

One factor that actually shocked me in Nicaragua (and in El Salvador as effectively) is the variety of vacationers it appears to obtain. Now, there have been vacationers in all places we went; sure, this nation just isn’t a secret anymore, and other people do come right here.

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However, what did shock me was the place these vacationers have been coming from. In my month of assembly folks, I should have solely come throughout 4 different American vacationers. Many I met got here from Australia, some from Germany and France, and some Canadians.

It appears to me that Americans may nonetheless contemplate Nicaragua not fascinating sufficient or too harmful to go to.

Both of which couldn’t be farther from the reality.

Also, with increasingly flight options from the States, it couldn’t be simpler to achieve this fascinating vacation spot.

Additionally, Nicaraguans might desperately use some extra vacationer {dollars} of their financial system, they usually deserve it.

Tourist tour for jesus christ statue in Nicaragua. Above view on San juan del sur

The History

One declare to fame of Nicaragua is that it gave the world one of many biggest names in Spanish literature, Ruben Dario. After spending his life as a diplomat, poet, and journalist, Daio is now a nationwide hero.

If you need to see some lovely preserved historic cities, Leon, Granada, and Ciudad Antigua have been the primary established by Spaniards after they reached the shores of Nicaragua.

Wander their historic facilities and take within the structure and tradition; simply bear in mind to look each methods for the quite a few horse and buggies that zip round these streets all hours of the day.

The Price-tag

Going into this journey, I knew some counties in Central America can be cheaper than others. For instance, I used to be ready for Costa Rica and Panama to be extra expensive than Nicaragua and El Salvador.

And but, simply how cheaply you would get by in Nicaragua nonetheless shocked me.

Now, some areas undoubtedly price greater than others. For instance, San Juan Del Sur didn’t appear all that low-cost to me, particularly when it got here to lodging.

However, it’s doable to seek out lodging on the otherworldly island of Ometepe for subsequent to nothing, and Granada additionally has many low-cost choices accessible.

Aside from lodging, each day bills corresponding to transportation, sim playing cards, meals and drinks all additionally price lower than I anticipated.