Nicaragua

Understand

Nicaraguans like to call their country "país de lagos y volcanes" - Land of lakes and volcanoes and this certainly an apt description of the overall layout, particularly of the Western half of the country.

Climate Temperature is most influenced by altitude. On the Pacific side there is a pronounced dry (November-April, known locally as "verano") and rainy season (known locally as "invierno") but the further east you got the longer the rainy season becomes and the rainier the dry season gets. Torrential downpours in the rainy season (May–October) can catch you by surprise and soak you within minutes, even in the Pacific lowlands, so be prepared if you're traveling during the rainy season. In the Northern Highlands cloud forests dominate and thus cold, foggy weather is no rare occurrence. Temperatures might drop to the tens Celsius in the early morning hours on high altitudes but snow is unheard of. The Caribbean coast is overall much wetter with rain a common occurrence even in the "dry" season. The last devastating hurricane to hit Nicaragua was Mitch in 1998 and the country is generally not in the main pathway of hurricanes, but you should still heed warnings and absolutely evacuate at the very least to the Pacific side if there is any chance of a hurricane hitting the place you're in. Hurricane Otto, which hit the country and neighboring Costa Rica in November 2016 left no dead and less destruction than feared, and showed that Nicaragua is now better prepared for natural disasters than in the past.

Terrain

Nicaragua has an area of 130,373 km2. The most noteworthy features of Nicaragua's geography are visible at a glance: Lake Nicaragua in the southwest with a mostly low lying plain west of it that experiences dry seasons and has historically been the densest populated and most agriculturally used part of the country. In the north, high mountains gave rise to coffee and tobacco farming and this is where the country is at its coldest and also where most histo

Getting there

Visa regulations Citizens of the following countries/territories can enter Nicaragua without a visa: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, the Vatican City (Holy See) and Venezuela. Visitors must obtain a Tourist Card for US$10 valid for 1 month to 3 months (depending on citizenship - Canada and United States are allowed 90 days) upon arrival, provided with a valid passport with at least six months to run. (Citizens of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are exempt from the Tourist card requirement.) There is also a US$32 departure tax which is included in airfares with major airlines (American Airlines, Copa Airlines and Avianca definitely). The tourist card is valid in the other CA-4 countries, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, although it sometimes requires a discussion with immigration officials that this accord is in effect, since they are quite compelled to sell more tourist cards. By land departure the exit tax is US$4. Be aware that they do not accept the equivalent in Nicaraguan Cordobas (local currency). Getting into Nicaragua - especially for foreigners from rich western countries - used to be a breeze, but i

Getting around

By bus

Bus is definitely the main mode of travel in Nicaragua, and a great way to get to know the country's geography, people and even some culture (music, snack food, dress, manners). Most of the buses are old decommissioned yellow US school buses (though often fantastically repainted and redecorated). Expect these buses to be packed full, and your luggage (if large) may be stored at the back or on the top of the bus (along with bicycles and other large items). You'd better be quick or you may be standing most of the trip or sitting on a bag of beans. On most routes you can purchase your ticket a day or so in advance which will guarantee you a (numbered) seat (look for the number on your ticket and above the windows respectively). Some have not replaced the original seats meant to carry 7-year-olds, so you may have sore knees by the end of the trip. People often sell snacks and drinks on the buses (or through the windows) before they depart or at quick stops. A typical fare may vary between US$1 or less for short (~30min) trips to US$3–4 for longer trips. Buses in Nicaragua are usually operated by a two-person crew. Besides the driver, on each bus there is usually a younger "assistant" manning the front door; he announces stops, collects fares, and helps passengers to board (often paying particular attention to pretty female passengers). There used to be prepaid cards for buses in Managua, but the equipment was retired in early October 2018. Most cities in Nicaragua have one main bus terminal for long distance buses. Managua has numerous terminals, each serving a different region of the country depending upon its geographic placement in Managua. Mercado Israel Levites, in the western part of the city, serves cities on the Pacific Coast to the north, e.g. Leon, Chinandega and all points in between. Mercado Mayoreo on the eastern side of the city serves points east, north and southeast, like Matagalpa Rama or San Carlos, Rio San Juan. Mercado Huembes in the south

See

Nicaraguans like to call their country the country of lakes and volcanoes. Some of the most noteworthy volcanoes include:

Volcán Concepción and Maderas on Ometepe Volcán Mombacho near Granada Volcán Masaya near Masaya. If it is not considered too dangerous you can drive up by car. Volcán Cosigüina that used to be one of the highest in the region but exploded in the 19th century, dotting the Golfo de Fonseca between Nicaragua and El Salvador with many small islets made out of its debris. Other sights include:

Wildlife on Ometepe or in the protected areas of Indio-Maiz (southeast, Rio San Juan Region) and Bosawas (northeast, Caribbean Nicaragua) Churches en masse especially in León (with one of the biggest churches of central America) and Granada Beaches along the country's east and west coasts, including the party resort San Juan del Sur Lake-panoramas and sunsets along the shores of Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca) Museums and murals dedicated to the country's revolutionary past and its ci