After enduring a protracted and violent civil war, Nicaragua has rebounded and become so stable that the tourism industry has grown 300 per cent since 2004. Whether it’s the allure of pristine beaches on the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, the booming business of ecotourism or the good times to be had in the major cities of Granada and Leon and the Nicaraguan capital of Managua, tourists are finding their way here in droves. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that everything in Nicaragua is cheap, and every dollar spent goes a long way.
Nicaragua is a country rich in culture; like most nations in Central and South America, Nicaragua’s history and society is defined by the intersection of Spanish and English colonialism with native cultures. Book a cheap flight to Nicaragua and find out for yourself all that this vibrant nation has to offer, from diverse geography, music, religion, folklore, and food.
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The climate is tropical, with a rainy season from May to October.
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The rainy season lasts the whole summer – and then some – so book in April and you should get the best combination of warm temperatures and minimal rainfall.
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Bus travel is the best way to get around Nicaragua. Repurposed, old-fashioned, yellow (though often repainted) American school buses transport the country’s people from town to town and city to city. The buses are jam packed – your luggage will be strapped to the roof – and an amazing way to become instantly immersed in Nicaraguan culture. Just as in most developing nations, there are also refitted vans, or ‘microbuses,’ that cram as many as 15 people into a vehicle originally meant to carry eight and transport them cheaply from point to point in big cities. Taxis are also available in cities and the prices should be negotiated.
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Nicaragua lives with the unfortunate reality that it sits on a major fault line. A 1972 earthquake destroyed much of the capital of Managua but unfortunately wasn’t an anomaly. Seismologists have estimated that the capital will see major earthquake activity every 50 years or so (it also suffered a brutal quake in 1931).
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Augusto C. Sandino International Airport (MGA); a variety of international air carriers fly to Managua.
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Canadian citizens need passport and visa. Visitors can also obtain a ‘tourist card,’ which is valid for 1-3 months and facilitates travel through the other CA-4 countries, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras; remind immigration officials in those countries of the reciprocity as they will be eager to sell you another one upon entry.
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