Nicaragua is a country that’s rarely mentioned as a vacation destination.  While I chose to visit almost entirely due to its low costs, what I experienced far exceeded my expectations.  From it’s colonial cities to its volcanic landscapes, every part of my time there impressed me.  The locals were friendly and helpful and the food was delicious.  I look forward to visiting again to explore corners of the country that I haven’t yet seen.

If you’re flying to Nicaragua, your trip will begin in Managua.  We flew from Atlanta, Georgia on Spirit Airlines for less than it cost for many domestic locations.  Between the $275 roundtrip ticket and the country’s robust bus network, we had plenty left to spend for our time in the country.

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The time of year you visit tropical locations is important and will have a large impact on what you’re able to do.  November to April is the dry season and generally considered the best time to visit.  We often travel to countries during the shoulder season.  In Nicaragua, the climate transitions from the dry season to the rainy season in May.  While you may experience some brief downpours, there are also far fewer tourist, discounted accommodations and more lush forests.  Regardless of when you go, our itinerary will provide a great overview of the country while still allowing us to be relaxed and enjoy our time there.

Day 1-3: Granada

Day 1 – ARRIVAL

Upon arrival at the Managua airport (take $10 cash each for entry), it’s possible to take a taxi from the airport to the bus station and then a bus from Managua to Granada.  After a long day of travel, I think it’s worth it to spend a little extra to arrange a taxi ($40).  This will save at least an hour of travel time as well.  When you get to Granada, spend what’s left of the day orienting yourself with the city and grab some dinner.

Day 2

Spend this day exploring the Spanish colonial town of Granada.  The city sits on Lake Nicaragua where you can find beaches and dozens of small islands on the southern end of the city center.  A few block off the lake, you’ll find Guadalupe Church where a pedestrian zone begins.  Follow the street until you reach the beautiful Mary Cathedral Church and the surrounding plazas.  To end the day, walk to Iglesia la Merced.  Arrive about an hour before sunset and pay a dollar to climb the bell tower.  Once there, you’ll be allowed to stay for sunset with the best view of the city.

Day 3

Mombacho Volcano looms over the city of Granada and is a short day trip away.  It’s home to a cloud forest and various wildlife.  It also offers great views over Granada and the surrounding area.  You can catch the bus headed for Rivas from here at 6:30, 8:00, 9:00 or 11:30 for about a dollar.  You will only be on this bus for about 45 minutes asking to be dropped off at the entrance to Mombacho Volcano Natural Reserve.  From that intersection, a tuk-tuk will take you the rest of the way for another dollar.  Once at the reserve, you have several options.  It’s a bit confusing and the prices are higher than for most things in Nicaragua.  All the trails begin towards the top of the crater.  It’s possible to walk to the top along the very steep road but you must begin before 10:00 if you choose to.  We arrived later and the shuttle ($11 each) was our only option.  There are 3 different trails.  The Crater Trail is the shortest and doesn’t require a guide.  It was around $10 per person.  The other trails are longer and require a guide making them more expensive.  While I think the prices are too high, I still enjoyed the hike and am glad we did it.

Where we stayed:  Hotel il Padrino

Day 4-6: Ometepe Island

Day 4

You’ll wake early to travel from Granada to Rivas on the same bus as mentioned above for Mombacho.  This time, take the bus to Rivas.  Tell the driver you’re going to Ometepe.  They’ll drop you off at the best place for you to catch a shuttle to San Jorge port.  The shuttle will be a short 5 minute ride.  You’ll have to pay a $3 tourist fee when you enter the port and can then board your ferry to Moyogalpa.  Once on the ferry, someone will come around to collect the fee ($3 – $4).  There are stalls at the port where you can rent a scooter for when you arrive to the island.  We decided to do this and it cost us $20/day.  I’m guessing you might could save a little money by waiting and haggling upon arrival to the island.  Regardless, get your scooter in Moyogalpa and head to where you’re staying for the night.  It’ll likely be mid-afternoon at this point.  Enjoy the rest of the day on the lake before grabbing dinner.

Day 5 & 6

Ometepe is fairly undeveloped.  There are small stores, restaurants and a few gas stations but no large hotels or resorts.  There are several ways for you to spend the next couple of days. 

• Hike the active Conception Volcano (~$20 per person with guide) and look into the crater
• Hike the extinct Madera Volcano for the summit lake and excellent views of Conception Volcano
• Kayak up Rio Istian for birdwatching and to try and see a Caiman (~$20 for a double kayak… more with guide)
• Hike through the rain forest to San Ramon waterfall
• Swim at the Reserva Natural Ojo de Agua
• Walk out onto Punta Jesus Maria during low tide

Where we stayed:  Ometepe Casitas

Day 7-8: Gigante Beach

Day 7

This day will involve some travel again.  Wake on Ometepe and ride your scooter back to Moyogalpa for the ferry back to San Jorge.  From there, we got a taxi for the 45 minute ride to El Gigante for $30 (there is a bus from Rivas at 9:30am and 1:20pm as well).

Day 8

El Gigante is a small surfer town.  There are several accessible beaches in this area.  All of them are very pretty with rocky outcropping dividing the sandy beaches.  My personal favorite was the protected Playa Amarilla.  This beach has very large waves though and isn’t ideal for swimming.  There is a nice hike out to there rocky point at the southern end of Playa Gigante.  Be aware, there are limited food and convenience store options in this area.  The only ATM is in a nearby town.

Where we stayed:  Casa Medusa

Day 9-10: Laguna Apoyo

Day 9

We hopped on the 8:00 bus here and road it to Rivas bus station.  At the bus station, we took the next bus to Granada.  The bus ends in Granada nearby a large MaxiPali grocery store.  This is a good place to make a final supply or ATM run before catching a cab to Laguna Apoyo.  We got a cab for $15 and they are frequently available in the MaxiPali parking lot. 

Spend the rest of the day at Laguna Apoyo.  The Laguna is a very touristy place but was an excellent place to finish your trip.  You’ll have time to unwind before travelling back home the next day.  When sunset arrives, be sure to consider your dinner plans as many places shut down early.

Day10 – DEPARTURE

It’s time to head back home but Laguna Apoyo is only a 45 minute ride back to the Managua airport.  The airport doesn’t have many dinning options and I’d get lunch before arriving if it works for your flight time.

Where we stayed:  Laguna Beach Club

Travel Information

Transportation

You have a few options in how to get around in Nicaragua.  We chose a mix of taxis and busses.  The busses are extremely cheap (a few dollars at most) but do add time to your travels.  Still for longer, distances, they saved a lot of money.  For shorter distances or places that aren’t as accessible, we used taxis.  A good rate for a taxi would be $40-50 per hour of travel.  If you’d prefer to avoid public busses, you could replace them with taxis for an additional $250 and still follow the itinerary above.  I chose not to rent a car but the roads were generally in decent shape, traffic was limited and driving was orderly.  Renting a car is affordable compared to other countries.

Taxi Contacts

Jersson Nica – WhatsApp +505 8685 0578, Facebook, email 

Carlos Alberto Iglesisa – WhatsApp +505 7850 7726, email

Money

Cash is a necessity in Nicaragua.  Credit cards are sometimes accepted in tourist areas or at larger chains.  ATMs are found in larger cities but you shouldn’t assume they’ll be available elsewhere.  One positive is that the US dollar is taken many places in addition to the Nicaraguan Córdoba.  Still, it’s always good to have some local cash on hand.

Safety

This is always a bit subjective but I didn’t find Nicaragua to be any more dangerous than much of the United States.  Violent crime statistics are lower for Nicaragua than in the frequently traveled Costa Rica.  While we didn’t meet any American tourist, we met many people from Europe, Australia and several Canadian expats.  As with most countries, the biggest concerns are in cities.  Managua in particular seems to have problems with crime.  As there’s not much to see there either, we chose to avoid it completely.  I didn’t feel in danger in Granada (particularly during the day) but would take basic precautions.  Don’t wearing flashy jewelry, keep your belongings close and don’t try to be out much at night.  I had no concerns at all in any of the other places we visited.

Language

Nicaragua is a Spanish speaking country.  My Spanish is best described as terrible but I can speak a limited vocabulary and pick up on some basics when it’s spoken to me.  Still it was helpful to not be fully dependent on English.  If you avoid things like public buses, I think you’d be fine not knowing any Spanish at all.  All the taxi drivers knew some English as did any tourist related businesses.