I'll have three days there, fairly soon. I've never been to Nicaragua before, though I've spent a fair amount of time elsewhere in Central America. Your recommendations would be very welcome and many of them will be used.
Nicaragua bleg
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Ometepe…Ometepe…Ometepe. Failing that Leon.
Any thoughts on San Antonio from your recent trip?
If you’re in Managua, day trips to Mombacho (hiking through a cloud forest), Masaya (active volcano with fewer safety regulations than would otherwise be the case in the States) and Granada (colonial town south of Managua and historical base of liberal Nicaraguan politics) are all delightful outings.
En route to town from the Managua airport, try to spot the “Barrio Hugo Chavez,” and throughout Managua, note the shanty towns with red/black Sandanista flags (not Nicaraguan national flags) and the copious pro-Ortega propaganda. Also, the lack of street names and the patches of undeveloped no-man’s-land in Managua are a poignant reminder that the city is still in many ways recovering from the 1972 earthquake and the decade-long civil war of the 1980s, not to mention a fairly corrupt government, even by contemporary Central American standards.
Mangua’s Malecon is poignant, just further up from several interesting statues, plazas and government buildings, including the palacio nacional, and the ruins of the city’s cathedral (including a disturbing shanty town on the left as you walk toward the shore). The pyramid-shaped Crowne Plaza is among the most bizarre-looking hotels in the world, and the views of the crater/lagoon and the lake are great from the top of the hill (along with a larger-than-life silhouette statue of Sandino).
I found La Cocina de Doña Haydée to be an excellent introduction to Nicaraguan food; I especially enjoyed nacatamales, a local variant of tamales wrapped in banana leaves.
If, for some reason, you’re on the Caribbean coast, Bluefields sounds like a fascinating place — its culture is much more Caribbean and English than Spanish, given the difficulty of travel across the Nicaraguan istmus in the 19th century and the presence of British and American trading.
In Managua, for food, be sure to check out Ola Verde. http://www.olaverdesa.com/
You won’t see many Nicas there, but it’s excellent, fresh, local food. The focus is on balanced healthy cooking, but it tastes quite good. Service is attentive, and their homemade drinks are particularly good. The attached shop sells great chocolate, coffee, and other nica specialties. I highly recommend the el castillo del cacao brand.
There’s a Peruvian restaurant just down the street from it, La Terrazza Peruana, which despite being peruvian, is frequented much more by locals. I would call it Peruvian home cooking, and the steak is excellent (much better than the more renowned Managuan steakhouses).
For coffee, case del cafe is very good.
All are excellent respites from what is otherwise a sometimes hectic, sometimes dull city.
If you get outside of Managua, Granada is supposed to be quite nice.
If you like the beach, be sure to hit San Juan Del Sur and the surrounding areas. Most of the best beaches are relatively inaccessible, but pick up the Moon guide to Nicaragua (http://books.google.com/books?id=K3LgHF6Y7asC&dq=berman+wood+nicaragua&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=AtnNScQPtb&sig=BH7ksxYVz5b7S-Ji8eD5w8VE06M&hl=en&ei=AT8US9SmLsfUlAfDkKmbBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CB4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=&f=false) which lists most of the best beaches. The tour company listed in the San Juan del Sur section is excellent, and although relatively pricey, will be able to take you where you need to go.
If you’re into coffee and chocolate, I highly recommend the little traveled highlands north Of Managua. The Jinotega-Matagalpa scenery is breathtaking, and hiking through the cloudforests is a very cool, enchanting experience. Selva Negra (http://www.selvanegra.com/) is an excellent hotel in the area, where you can book coffee plantation tours, go hiking, sit and relax, and do plenty of other things (and also plenty of nothing!) This region feels largely untouched by the outside world, and visiting here is a great way to meet and connect with Nicas, and discover their local culture. Take a luxury bus (about $10 per person)which will save you enormous pain to your back and butt and 2-3 hours of travel time.
Life is slow in Nicaragua, but enjoy it while it lasts!
Definitely Leon if you want a relaxing night.
I have never seen so many stars in the sky
For alcohol, try Flor de Cana, 7 years = gran reserva and 14 years = i forgot the name, are all good choices
In general Nicaragua is vastly underrated on many levels. 3 days is not enough, period, so I’d suggest adding a couple of days so that you can visit the amazing Ometepe or the Caribbean coast. Pearl Lagoon, up the coast from Bluefields, is great, with its Creole-speakers hanging out at bars listening to jukeboxes filled with Loretta Lynn tunes. Little Corn Island is beautiful.
For the short trip, yes, Granada and a laid-back afternoon at Laguna de Apoyo; or Leon for a more vibrant student scene and plenty of hardcore Nica leftism.
Good comments above, but you’re not likely to fit a lot of this in the three day time frame you’re looking at. I would either pick Leon or Granada, and spend the three days getting to know one of those two cities and the surrounding areas. They’re both fantastic. Granada is a bit more touristy, which also means prettier, cleaner, etc., and the volcano hikes mentioned above might make that worth bearing.
Leon is much more Nica, and while it’s a longer trip to the mountains, it’s a shorter trip to the beach. There’s also an indigenous community called “Poneloyas” near the beach west of Leon that often leads to interesting conversations (if you speak Spanish and find and indigenous spanish speaker). Also, near Leon, is the Isla Juan Venado protected area, which, if you can find someone with a boat or a local tour operator, is well worth checking out.
Personally, I recommend heading north to Leon, but it’s more difficult without Spanish. Either way, though, my basic advice is don’t try to get too much in. Nica is a slow moving place, and you’ll just get frustrated.
Finally, there’s some good surf to be had on the Central Coast between Managua and Leon. It’s totally undeveloped – you’re unlikely to find more than one or two other people out on a big day, and it’ll be down this time of year — good for a beginner — if you’re interested.
There is a beautiful coffee plantation outside of Matagulpa called Selva Negra. They are completely self sustaining and have some strong coffee. The place is run by a very nice German couple who are more then willing give you a tour. If I could go back to any place in Nicaragua, this would be it.
I’m assuming you’ll be based in Managua. Go to El Muelle for the ceviche and a cold Victoria beer. It’s just behind the Intercontinental Hotel. If you want to check out Central American art visit the Gallery Dona Josefina in the Bolonia area of the city. Dona Josefina is a sweet lady and I found she always had a nice mix of styles on display. Also, make sure to take a quick visit to the old Cathedral, which is on the lake in what was the center of the city before the late seventies earthquake. It’s just ruins now and a very haunting spot. For a short trip outside Managua, have a taxi take you up to Las Nubes. It’s about a 30 minute drive. It’s in the mountains above Managua with beautiful views and a cool breeze.
Thank you very much very nice article. Great information! Very useful for me. Thanks a lot.
Let me echo a previous commentor: the dormant volcano outside of Masaya is breathtaking. It has a lake in the middle and kayaking out to the middle of it gave me one of the most placid, calm/tranquillo moments of my life. There is a large outdoor market in Masaya as well that usually has great music in the evenings. Definitely eat a nacatamale: watch one being made if you can. The coffee plantations around Matagalpa are very interesting to see. It’s a fantastic country, although it of course is very poverty-stricken in places. I’ve never met a consistently friendlier group of people in my life. Thanks.
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