Where to stay in Nicaragua

If you're looking for a hotel in Nicaragua, Booking.com constantly offers the cheapest rates and has the largest selection of accommodation. The platform offers competitive prices and in many cases allows cancellations free of charge.

Travel insurance in Nicaragua

I recommend travel insurance at IATI or Heymondo 5% discount with this link. Do you already have travel insurance for your holidays in Nicaragua?

When to visit Nicaragua

Nicaragua has two distinct seasons: a dry summer and a wet winter. The climate is tropical, hot and humid, with a rainy season that lasts from May to October in the western sector and until January on the Caribbean coast. This period is characterised by heavy rainfall with a high risk of hurricanes.

On the Pacific coast, rain often falls in the afternoon from May to November, although the mornings are generally sunny and dry.

The central mountain region has a cooler climate, with sporadic rainfall throughout the year, while the Atlantic coast is hot and humid all year round, with September and October seeing tropical storms.

So, the best time to visit Nicaragua is between the end of December and April (February to April for the Caribbean), during the dry season. Despite this, summer can be extremely hot and often uncomfortably dry, with temperatures hovering between 30°C and 35°C.

No time in Nicaragua?

Book in advance to avoid unforeseen problems, the best tours, activities and transfers with GetYourGuide. Don't forget to check out the passes and monument tickets, which offer easy access to various attractions. often at a discount.

Flight to Nicaragua

Skyscanner is a platform for finding cheap flights quickly and easily. With a simple interface and price comparisons from various companies, this is an essential tool for planning your trip.

Renting a car in Nicaragua

A DiscoverCars is a car hire comparison and booking platform that lets you find the best deals in 8,000 destinations. With a simple interface and transparent pricing options, it's a great choice for anyone looking to hire a car.

Money in Nicaragua

I use Wise and Revolut cards to avoid bank fees and commissions. Wise and Revolut are great for travelling, as they both offer prepaid travel cards that allow you to make purchases and withdrawals in different currencies, without fees and without complications. I always travel with both.

Internet and Wifi in Nicaragua

The most affordable method of accessing the internet is to use this eSIM (with 15% discount). Discover the world without worrying about roaming and access high-speed internet in over 190 countries.

Luggage in Nicaragua

Store your luggage safely and cheaply to explore Nicaragua without the burden of your bags. This storage service allows you to keep your belongings in shops, hotels, and other partners. Reservations can be made online in just a few seconds, and the service is available 24 hours a day.

Adventurous travellers should definitely include the Islas del Maíz (Corn Islands) in their Nicaragua travel itinerary. Located 40 kilometres from the mainland, near the town of Bluefields, the two islands are the natural habitat of howler monkeys, while the surrounding coral reefs are home to barracudas, nurse sharks, rays and green turtles.

In the 17th century, the islands were a refuge for pirates and smugglers and, because of this, there are still remains of shipwrecks in the area, which makes the corals richer... in wildlife.

As the tourism industry is in its infancy, visitors won't find modern hotels or luxury resorts on Big Corn Island (Isla Grande del Maíz) and Little Corn Island (Isla Pequeña del Maíz).

Instead, you can discover a diversity of unspoilt fauna and flora and some villages sparsely populated by the Garifuna tribes. These offer simple and cheap accommodation.

The Islas del Maíz are a perfect off-the-beaten-track destination in Nicaragua, a tropical paradise still somewhat ignored by tourists, with incredible white sand beaches and fruit trees that complete the picture of paradise. Popular activities on the islands include fishing, diving and snorkelling.

Granada was founded in 1524 and is said to be the oldest city in the new world. Many of the historic buildings have been restored several times over the centuries, with the locals making an extra effort to protect the old heritage, despite pirate invasions and civil wars.

The colourful city of Granada offers visitors many historical attractions and elegant colonial architecture, as well as lively markets and museums. The city also fills up with people and colour during Holy Week.

Popular places to visit in the city of Granada include six churches, the Parque Central, the Fuerte La Pólvora (an 18th-century fort) and the local market.

On the outskirts of the city you can visit the stupendous Lake Nicaragua, hike through the forest, above the treetops, on the slopes of the Massaya Volcano and savour good Nicaraguan coffee on one of the many coffee plantations.

Granada is the best base for visitors to explore Lake Nicaragua and many of the country's volcanoes and beaches.

Lake Nicaragua (sometimes referred to as Lake Cocibolca) is the largest lake in Central America and one of the largest in the world. A number of attractions, in addition to the vast area it covers, make Lake Nicaragua interesting for visitors.

For example, Lake Nicaragua is one of the only freshwater areas in the world that provides permanent shelter for sharks.

The bull shark, also known as the flat-headed shark, has the strongest bite among shark species, according to scientists in the United States and Germany. The species inhabits the depths of Lake Nicaragua and can sometimes be spotted, although it is rare.

Visitors to Lake Nicaragua can hire a boat and visit the islands while enjoying the spectacular scenery and the huge diversity of birds. The towns of Granada, San Carlos, San Jorge and San Miguelito are all located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, making it easily accessible.

However, despite the importance of the lake in the region, the tourist infrastructure is not as developed as one might imagine.

No trip to Nicaragua is complete without a hike up at least one of the country's many volcanoes. Nicaragua has a remarkable number of volcanoes, from the mountains in the south by Lake Nicaragua to the impressive Cosiguina Volcano in the north, which juts out into the Gulf of Fonseca.

Many of Nicaragua's volcanoes are dormant, but some remain active, such as the Concepción Volcano. Other popular volcanoes include Maderas, Zapatera, Mombacho, Laguna de Apoyo, Masaya, Apoyeque, Momotombo, Cerro Negro, Telica and San Cristobal.

In the true "land of lakes and volcanoes", exploring these sleeping monsters and others in constant activity should be part of your Nicaragua itinerary. Spectacular views, impressive landscapes and imposing craters offer splendid photographic opportunities.

Located on both sides of the border between Nicaragua and Honduras, the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve covers over 20,000 km², sheltering thousands of plant and animal species and nearly 200,000 types of insects.

The area was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997 and is the second largest tropical rainforest in the Western Hemisphere, second only to the Amazon. In fact, the reserve – including its buffer zones – covers about 15% of Nicaragua’s total area.

A visit to explore the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in Nicaragua is highly recommended and tourists visiting the Reserve will discover a huge variety of animal life, including pumas, jaguars and the largest eagle in the Americas, the harpy eagle.

The indigenous peoples, the Sumos and the Miskitos, still practise subsistence farming within the boundaries of the reserve, just as they have done for centuries. There are guided tours through the forest organised by various local companies.

San Juan del Sur is the base for exploring the Pacific coast beaches in Nicaragua, 140 km south of the capital Managua. With a population of over 15,000 inhabitants, mainly composed of families involved in fishing or tourism and expatriates from the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Although the local economy was based on fishing and maritime transport for many years, tourism is now the main source of livelihood.

The town attracts a veritable colony of international travellers, especially surfers. Surf schools abound and this is a good place for beginners and more experienced surfers alike. During the day, surfing and fishing take centre stage, while at night the beach buzzes with activity thanks to some popular seafront bars, restaurants and shops.

---

---