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Trip Report

Fall in love with Nicaragua!

An enriching experience both in discovery of local nature and in social exchange !

  • Sunset on Concepcion volcano+ 7
  • Iglesia la Recoleccion
  • Catedral de Léon.
  • Fall in love with Nicaragua!
an-natravel
About Me:Hi everybody ! I'm a 30 years old french girl and osteopath, care about the health of mind and body. Always looking for an understanding of the links between them, for my patients but also for me. It's been a long Time that I want to Tra... read more

North AmericaNicaragua22 days / May 2022

Highs & Lows

The beauty of the landscapes (jungle, volcanoes, beach...) despite a very poor country trying to recover from the civil war

Being a blonde tourist (Nicaraguans don't know respect and limits sometimes...)

Itinerary Overview

Nicaragua was a country in strong tourist development just before the 2018 war. The country is struggling to recover but tourism is picking up and it is for our greatest pleasure because (from what I have seen), this country is absolutely beautiful! The locals are for the most part all kind and want to have real discussions (important to have a not too bad level of Spanish...). 

A very hot climate everywhere (especially just before the rainy season), little or no altitude in the cities, roads not completely finished but a rather well done transport service !

Without any organization, I let myself be guided by the locals to discover a part of this country and fell in love with it. 

The simplicity and the desire of the locals to connect to my universe and learn new things (like English!)

  • 5 Nights: León
    Young and dynamic city (student city), many churches
  • 10 Nights: Granada
    Oldest city in the region, surrounded by many villages and activities !
  • 7 Nights: Ometepe
    Island with 2 volcanoes (Concepcion and Madeiras), nature, jungle, Peacefull place
León - Young and dynamic city (student city), many churches
1

León Young and dynamic city (student city), many churches

León - Young and dynamic city (student city), many churches - Iglesia la Recoleccion
Iglesia la Recoleccion
León - Young and dynamic city (student city), many churches - Catedral de Léon.
Catedral de Léon.
León - Young and dynamic city (student city), many churches - Mano a mano, in las Penitas.
Mano a mano, in las Penitas.

I had a little trouble getting used to the men's whistles, looks and remarks in Spanish, I took a few days to visit the city and didn't go out alone at night. I met many travelers and locals who taught me about the country's History. 

A few days are enough to go around, few street restaurants, and some interesting museums (but unfortunately closed when I was there), like the museum of the revolution, museum of legends and traditions... 

For $2 you can climb to the roof of the cathedral, located on the main square, visit the botanical garden, and all the churches. For shopping lovers, there are many shops everywhere !

There are several activities offered around Leon, such as the famous toboggan descent of the cerro negro volcano. 

During the day, several small street restaurants offer cut mangoes and banana chips.

And at 45 minutes/1h30 by chicken bus, you can leave the noisy and hot city for the beach of las Penitas. Many locals go there on weekends, so prefer the week... It's the perfect spot to learn to surf ! I Can recommand Mano a Mano hostel, directly on the beach.

Granada - Oldest city in the region, surrounded by many villages and activities !
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Granada Oldest city in the region, surrounded by many villages and activities !

Granada - Oldest city in the region, surrounded by many villages and activities ! - Masaya volcano
Masaya volcano
Granada - Oldest city in the region, surrounded by many villages and activities ! - View from the top of Merced church.
View from the top of Merced church.
Granada - Oldest city in the region, surrounded by many villages and activities ! - Laguna de Apoyo, hostel Paradiso
Laguna de Apoyo, hostel Paradiso

To get to Granada from Leon, you have to stop in Managua, the capital, to change buses. I do not recommend stopping there (nothing to visit, and above all a lot of insecurity for tourists...)

The proximity of the lake makes this city very humid and hot, but it is very easy to walk through its streets and visit its many churches ! You can also climb on the roof of Merced church for 1$ and admire the view of the whole city and catch a glimpse of the isletas and the island of Ometepe (weather permitting)

I tested the specialty by the first evening of my arrival: the Vigoron ! Cabbage and carrot salad, fried pork rind, wrapped in banana leaves. well, not a delight but the discovery always worth it !

I took time to visit Granada and arround, because there is a lot to do :

- la laguna de Apoyo by chicken buses, it's a nice place to chill an afternoon and to swim in this old crater

- the treehouse (25 minutes from center) for a friday night party in the jungle. An Amazing place, but only travelers, not a lot of locals to meet there !

- las isletas, by boat (but you can also rent a canoe). These 365 islands formed by the ancient eruption of the mombacho volcano, rich in vegetation !

- Masaya volcanoe : this active volcano without eruption allows us to observe the lava from the top of the crater, an extraordinary and quite rare experience ! 

Tip : you don't know what to do a night ? Go to the Magician lounge !! I won't say much more to leave you the pleasure of being shocked by the power of divination...

Ometepe - Island with 2 volcanoes (Concepcion and Madeiras), nature, jungle, Peacefull place
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Ometepe Island with 2 volcanoes (Concepcion and Madeiras), nature, jungle, Peacefull place

Ometepe - Island with 2 volcanoes (Concepcion and Madeiras), nature, jungle, Peacefull place - Sunset on Concepcion volcano
Sunset on Concepcion volcano
Ometepe - Island with 2 volcanoes (Concepcion and Madeiras), nature, jungle, Peacefull place - A monkey not really hidden...
A monkey not really hidden...
Ometepe - Island with 2 volcanoes (Concepcion and Madeiras), nature, jungle, Peacefull place - An old American bus transformed into a shop, at zopilote.1+
An old American bus transformed into a shop, at zopilote.

Ometepe is a place where calm and nature (very dense) reign. The island is not very big and everything is done by scooter, by bike (for the more athletic) or by bus (for the most patient: it there are very few). 

Discovering the local flora and fauna. I met several tarantulas, snakes, monkeys, (giant) toads, scorpions... Nothing dangerous, just impressive when you are used, for example to seeing only small spiders !. We accepted the nature of the place where we are, but I had a lot of trouble accepting the flying insects after dark (especially at finca mystica).

Just before the rainy season, the heat was unbearable and the humidity very high, so I didn't have the courage to climb one or both volcanoes. it's a minimum of 7 hours of hiking, sometimes without shadows, but if the weather is nice, the view is worth it ! 

You Can rent a canoe and navigate on the lake and enter the river Río Istian between the 2 volcanoes to observe several species of birds and caimans. The sunset behind the Concepcion volcano is absolutely divine !

There is other things to do, like climb up to the waterfall of San Ramón, chill at the beach, take a coffee to El Pital (and do their farm tour) and discover all the finca of the island !

Q & A

  • What would you have changed?

    I would have rented a scooter to make the most of every corner of the ometepe island, and I would have stayed longer to acclimatize to the heat and then climbed the volcanoes !
  • Restaurant recommendations?

    - Los chinitos in Léon : a buffet restaurant for 50/70 quetzal with a full plate ! - The garden cafe in Granada : a little high price but excellent breakfasts - El Burrito Loco in Granada : the best burrito in the country for really cheap !
  • Tips you would give a friend?

    Negotiate all prices, buses, activities (unless organized) taxis, markets...
  • Packing tips?

    Rain jacket even before the rainy season, Lavender essential oil for mosquito bites or other insects.
  • Transportation Tips?

    The country is well served by chicken buses, for the less patient, many shuttles are available (faster but for a much higher price)

Lodging

  • Big foot hostel : really cheap but very noisy and crowded. 18 beds in my dormitory and despite the fans, it was way too hot... I swich the next day to Lazybones : much calmer a nd more pleasant ! A very useful swimming pool (the 30 degrees and the humidity are hard to bear in the city), comfortable beds and friendly staff !

  • Casa Lucy hostel for 4 nights : really cheap and the family that runs this hotel is adorable and the included breakfast is excellent ! Hostal Mochillas for 3 nights : not Many people and a Big kitchen El caite hostel for 3 nights : the best place I've been. Comfortable beds, swimming pool (very important given the heat of the city) and very well placed.

  • Finca mystica for 4 days, on the sides of the Madeiras volcano, this hostel is lost in the jungle, surrounded by mango trees (which are home to many howler monkeys) and other fruit trees. A peacefull place with an amazing staff, double bed, but far from any activity. El zopilote for 3 days, ecological hostel on the other side of the Madeiras volcano. This hostel as its own restaurant and is near to the lake and shops. Nature, chill and hippy place ! There are many activities offered for free or for a small fee, such as yoga, cocoa ceremony, temazcal (sweat lodge), breathework !!