COUNTRY PROFILE
Nicaragua S
COAST TO COAST Capital city: Managua | Languages: Spanish, English | Currency: Córdoba | Visas: Not required by British citizens | Time zone: GMT -6hrs
traddling the breadth of Central America, from the
Caribbean Sea in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, Nicaragua has plenty of natural, cultural and historical highlights to offer the adventurous visitor. The country's tourism infra-
structure may lag behind that of neighbouring Costa Rica, but this is perhaps both a blessing and a curse for Central America's largest country, whose well- documented civil war has been well and truly consigned to the history books. In the last 20 years a steady
flow of overseas visitors have been safely discovering the delights of Nicaragua, which include excellent Pacific surfing beaches, virgin rainforest, mountain landscapes, a plethora of volcanoes, Central America’s oldest city, Granada, and its largest body of water. International visitor numbers are
growing at an impressive rate of around ten per cent a year and surpassed one million for the first time in 2010. The UK market currently accounts for less than one per cent of that figure, but it is nevertheless the third largest source of visitors in Europe. Although the country has great
WWW.VISITANICARAGUA.COM
■ Newly UNESCO-listed León Cathedral
potential as a holiday destination, one of the biggest barriers to selling Nicaragua is the misconception that there is still civil unrest across the country, whereas it is probably now one of the safest places in the region to visit. The ‘Nicas’, as they are known,
are among the friendliest and most welcoming people in Central America and, what’s more, the cost of living is low – much more so than neighbouring Costa Rica, with which it is often paired in itineraries – and trips to Nicaragua therefore represent tremendous value for money. Not long ago, tourism in
SAMPLE PACKAGE Steppes Travel's 15-day holiday is priced from £2,450pp including return flights from the UK. It includes a night in Managua, a visit to the coffee- and tobacco-growing highlands bordering Honduras, stays in Granada and León and a visit to San Juan del Sur.
30 | Latin America
Nicaragua was largely confined to the adventurous backpacker market due to the prevalence of basic infrastructure, a lack of airlift and the quality of hotels. However, extensive investment and new developments in recent years have resulted in vastly improved connections with the UK and Europe and an increasing number of boutique hotels and ecolodges. The wild eastern portion of the country remains sparsely
TIPS FROM
THE TOP “Nicaragua is my favourite country in Central America and it’s a place which has a great atmosphere. It’s poor, but it’s safe to visit and travel around. I’d recommend Granada, on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, for its beautiful colonial architecture. There’s a real tropical, languid feel to it and you’ll see a lot of people on rocking chairs outside their homes, just taking it easy. “A lot of people have this pre-
conception that there is still a war going on, but that ended years ago. “León is another city worth a visit.
Both played big parts in the civil war: Leon was the socialist stronghold, and people go here to get their revolutionary fix.”
Tom Harari, Country Director, Steppes Travel
inhabited, with the majority of the population living on the Pacific coast and in the capital city, Managua. Widespread destruction was wrought on the lakeside city by an earthquake in 1972, meaning León, to the northwest, and Granada, to the southeast, are the more picturesque and best preserved of Nicaragua's beautiful Spanish colonial cities. Central America's oldest colonial
city, Granada, sits at the bottom of Mombacho volcano on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, and very few visitors will pass through the country without taking in the city's many historic charms and pleasantly laid-back atmosphere. Lake Nicaragua (also known as
Lake Cocibolca) is the largest body of water in Central America and features over 300 islands including Isla Zapatera – a popular excursion from Granada – and the larger
HIGHLIGHTS Colonial cities of Granada & León Beaches of the Pacific Coast The Caribbean Corn Islands Volcano trekking and climbing Lake Nicaragua and its islands
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