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I’m simply over midway by a Central American journey, after beginning in Panama and dealing my method 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 sudden spotlight.
I’m speaking about The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes itself, Nicaragua.
Being American, most of all the things 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 method throughout this beautiful Central American gem.
@nomads_nook Replying to @bradxlee._19 📍Nicaragua🇳🇮 is positioned in Central America and is thought for its breathtaking sunsets and tropical seashores🌴 – #nicaragua #travel #traveltiktok #travelinspo #nicaragua🇳🇮 #tiktoktravel #nicaraguatiktoks #nicaraguatiktok #paradise – 📽: @david.tejada.73 @Leo Chavez @Visit Nicaragua @Colleen ♬ Me Gustas Tu – Sped Up Version – Manu Chao
Nicaragua is definitely not the only country in Central America that continues to be a bit undiscovered, and there are many in this region that it’s best to add to your journey plans this yr.
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 very best mild, 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 immediately. Some research have proven that Nicaragua has a decrease crime fee than its far more standard neighbor of Costa Rica (one other nation I by no means felt unsafe in).
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Nicaragua is the second poorest nation within the Western Hemisphere, and touring from one location to the subsequent, you will notice this firsthand.
There is plenty 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 regulation enforcement points.
As a traveler, in case you keep in the primary vacationer areas corresponding to San Juan Del Sur, Granada, Ometepe Island, Leon, and the Corn Islands, you have to be high quality, though I’d completely carry medical insurance with you.
The Nature and Wildlife
For a rustic that is named the land of lakes and volcanoes, it positive has… properly, plenty 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 may 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 may see this!)
Nicaragua has about 7% of the world’s biodiversity, and you will notice lovely nature in all places you flip. The birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and all the things 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 greater than my hand (in my bathe, no much less) and big 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 chortle as a result of, sure, in fact there’s a paint retailer on each nook, as a result of each home on this nation is painted some neon vibrant shade, one after the subsequent.
The entire metropolis of Granada, for instance, appears prefer it might 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 completed.
The Beaches
Let me get this out of the way in which proper now; I’m under no circumstances a surfer. I’m far more of a let’s seize a drink and watch the sundown type of traveler.
That being mentioned, I do respect a very good seashore city with a browsing vibe. The southern city of San Juan Del Sur is strictly that and makes a simple begin for any journey by Nicaragua, because it’s simply over the border from Costa Rica.
With a Jesus statue that can remind you of a mini Rio De Janeiro and extra locations to eat and drink than you might presumably get by, this seashore city is one to remain some time and chill.
On the coast alongside the Pacific one can find 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 could find one other standard seashore city of Las Penitas.
Across the nation, positioned about 50 miles into the Caribbean, one can find the idyllic Corn Islands, and whereas I couldn’t embrace them on this journey resulting from time, they’re undoubtedly on my radar for one more go to.
The Ease Of Travel
Before this journey, I had plenty of reservations about touring round Central America. I used to be uncertain if it might be simple to navigate the transportation and find out how to attain all of the (ever-growing) variety of locations I wished to incorporate.
However, the very best factor about Central America is that getting from level A to level B may be as simple or as low cost as you make it.
Chicken busses join all the sub-continent roughly 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 seemingly need to go in Nicaragua is properly linked by transportation, and shuttle busses typically price lower than $30 an individual, with door-to-door drop-off.
It’s value noting that personal drivers can be fairly low cost right here as properly, and I used them just a few instances after I couldn’t make shuttle instances resulting from work. The finest tip is to get a card from one you want and maintain utilizing them.
Undiscovered Gem
One factor that actually shocked me in Nicaragua (and in El Salvador as properly) is the variety of vacationers it appears to obtain. Now, there have been vacationers in all places we went; sure, this nation isn’t a secret anymore, and folks 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 individuals, I will need to 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 would possibly 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, and so they deserve it.
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 might 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 out there.
Aside from lodging, day by day bills corresponding to transportation, sim playing cards, meals and drinks all additionally price lower than I anticipated.
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