A travel guide to Nicaragua
A very long day trip from Costa Rica‘s north west Guanacaste region, Nicaragua is a fascinating country, down on its luck compared to its neighbours but enchanting in its own ways. From the south it is entered via the Pan-American Road (they don’t call it a highway), which stretches 19,000 miles from Argentina to Canada.
First impressions? Rich colonial history, stunning geography, colourful urban areas, poor but enterprising, regular reminders of past and current political civil unrest.
Places to visit in Nicaragua
Lake Nicaragua (Lago de Nicaragua)
Entering the country on the road from Costa Rica you follow the western shore of the lake, Nicaragua and Central America’s largest body of fresh water. It’s a scenic route, driving through dry cattle pastures, but first expect long delays at the Costa Rica-Nicaragua border at Peñas Blancas. As the Pan-American Road represents the main link between South and North America it suffers from people trafficking and smuggling of illegal goods. You’ll see literally miles of lorries queued up awaiting their checks. The paperwork for tourists can take a while too, so an early start is strongly encouraged to beat the queues (we set out from Costa Rica at 4.45am).
Lorry queues at Nicaragua border crossing, Peñas Blancas
That said, the waiting around in no man’s land was entertaining – there are a few souvenir shops and some interesting local characters, not least the cock-a-doodle-dooing salesman with a bicycle trailer full of locally made shoes and bags. His sales skills might not be great but you can’t argue with his chicken impression talents.
‘Chicken man’ at Nicaragua border crossing, Peñas Blancas
Once into Nicaragua (we’re now talking 8am or 9am) and you’ve taken a snap of the ‘Welcome to Nicaragua’ sign, there’s a good breakfast stop at La Virgen a few miles up the road. It’s just a regular restaurant off the main road selling the usual bean-based meals but it’s attraction is that it’s right next to the lake beach. A wander to the shores makes you appreciate the sheer size of this body of water – waves, endless horizon, seaweed (technically freshwaterweed?) just like an ocean beach. 26 miles at its deepest, it’s the 19th largest lake in the world. Further north you’ll see the two huge volcanoes of Omotepe island jutting out of the lake.
Seaweed clearing, Lake Nicaragua
Apoyo Lagoon caldera, Catarina
Passing through Rivas town you eventually wind up steep roads into Catarina, a small tourist town living off its incredible view of a huge water-filled (extinct) volcanic crater. Now a protected nature reserve, the almost circular caldera lagoon has a 4 mile diameter. There are various watersports and nature-based activities on offer but even for a quick pitstop and photo opportunity it’s worth the minor detour.
Apoyo Lagoon caldera, Catarina
Masaya market
Just a few minutes north of Catarina you enter Masaya, a former resistance town. You may still see armed guards on patrol and various political propaganda in the form of graffiti, murals and freedom fighter statues. It’s a sobering experience and one where you should keep your wits about you – there is long history and strong sentiment here that non-locals may not understand. Any reputable trip organisers will have phoned contacts immediately prior to your Nicaragua adventure, in order to assess the potential risk of civil unrest. Better safe than sorry – check foreign travel advice before booking.
Everything else about Masaya seems very colourful: shopfronts, snack bars, cemeteries, people’s clothing, even the buses. Interestingly, despite having headed only a few hours north you do begin to notice the cultural and demographic shift towards indigenous Inca Cimarron.
Local Nicaraguan woman, Granada province
Masaya has a local Indian craft market (again, very colourful) which is fairly touristy, as you’d expect (Nicaragua is a poor country remember; at time of writing in 2019 its average income was 55USD per month compared to Costa Rica’s 1,100USD). That said some of the wares are authentic enough – locally made dresses, t-shirts etc sold by friendly stallholders at very fair prices.
Mural at Masaya Indian market
Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya
Just to the west of Masaya town is the eerie, other-wordly volcanic Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya. Entering the reserve it’s soon barren black rock as far as the eye can see with few trees and little evidence of wildlife. It’s like a sci-fi movie set. Santiago volcano itself is one of those incredible experiences that reminds you of the power of mother nature. It’s a live volcano yet you can walk right up to the edge of the crater and peer down at the swirling gases. During our visit it was gently smouldering, though even a change in the wind can be dangerous as the gases are somewhat noxious.
Valley of Rocks lava fields, Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya
Needless to say safety is important here, even keeping your footing on the rough surfaces can be a challenge. Don’t be tempted to pick up the thin black needles you see on the ground – I speak from experience! – these are glass-like shards of crystallised magma thrown up by the volcano and it takes ages to get off your hands.
Volcanic rockwool, Parque Volcan Masaya
Granada old town
From the volcano park it’s a 10 mile drive back through Masaya to Granada, Nicaragua’s historic jewel in the crown. It’s a Spanish colonial town dating back to the early 1500s and therefore has a rich 600 year history. In fact, the country’s currency, the Córdoba, is named after the Spanish conquistador who named the city in 1524. We recommend taking the horse-drawn carriage ride through the old town, a half hour view of colourful houses, colonial buildings and grand churches – great photography material despite the ride being somewhat bumpy. The guides speak good English and are very informative, making the 20USD charge between four of you very reasonable.
Colourful houses and shopfronts in Granada old town
En route you may get a stopover at the ChocoMuseo where an entertaining character will excitedly take you through the history of Nicaraguan chocolate production. You get a chance to grind cocoa beans, sing the rousing ‘batty batty chocolatty” chant (don’t ask me!) and eventually sample chocolate-based food and drinks. A slighty quirky experience all round.
The Granada horse-drawn carriage tour ends at Guadalupe Church, a slightly knackered-looking old cathedral. Mind you, it was built in 1626.
16th century Guadalupe Church, Granada
Boat trip from Cabana Amirilla
Finally it’s back to Lake Nicaragua, this time onto the water to get a closer look. Small boats can be hired from Cabana Amirilla though we took a larger boat with driver and guide. On the lake you see numerous small islands, many bought by wealthy types who have built their dream island home. The wildlife here is superb (see photo gallery below) – various herons and egrets, an osprey perched on a branch eating a fish, Montezuma oropendulas and their dangling weaved nests, even a monkey sanctuary island.
Osprey with fish catch
From here it’s a 2-3 drive back south to Guanacaste. Get some sleep on the way back if you can though this is quite difficult with the bumpy roads and somewhat erratic driving (always sit in the middle of a coach for a less bumpy ride). We switched drivers/guides en route, at which point we were each presented a little parting gift from Nicaragua, personally name-carved maracas. A lovely gesture and reminder of a long but culturally very rewarding day.
Travel tips for Nicaragua
- Allow plenty of time to get across the border. There are long traffic queues and much waiting around once inside while paperwork and currency is sorted out. If you arrive after 9am you’ll likely have to wait 3 hours.
- US dollars are widely accepted, though it’s nice to have a few Nicaraguan córdoba as a memento.
- Be aware and mindful that this is a poor country with a turbulent history and a well-documented dictatorship. Civil unrest can still flare up – check with your tour guide or hotel before travelling.
- For the same reasons be prepared to encounter street begging, some persistent.
- Take a good camera and binoculars if you like wildlife or birdwatching, there’s plenty to see on and around Lake Nicaragua.
Nicaragua photo gallery
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