Nicaragua Travel Guide: Lakes, Volcanoes, and Culture with Joshua Burman

Exploring Nicaragua's Charm

• 🇳🇮 Nicaragua is presented as a distinct destination, often called the "new Costa Rica," but with its own unique character and less developed tourism infrastructure, offering opportunities to be the only foreigner in town.
• 🗺️ The "Gringo Trail" typically includes Granada, a beautiful colonial town on Lake Nicaragua, and San Juan del Sur, a Pacific coast surf town.
• 🏝️ Ometepe Island, a double-volcano island in Lake Nicaragua, is highlighted for its active and dormant volcanoes, hiking, kayaking, and unique accommodations like working farms.

History and Geography

• 🌋 Nicaragua is known as the "land of lakes and volcanoes," with about 40 volcanoes along the Pacific coast, part of the Ring of Fire, many of which are climbable.
• 🇺🇸 The US has had a long involvement in Nicaragua's affairs, notably due to its strategic importance for a potential isthmus canal, with historical proposals to build a canal via the Rio San Juan and Lake Nicaragua before shifting to Panama.
• 🇸🇻 The Sandinista years are discussed, characterized by land reform and nationalization, and a period of conflict involving the CIA and Contra forces.

Ecotourism and Local Experiences

• ☕ Matagalpa, in the northern coffee-growing region, is a hub for ecotourism and community-based tourism, offering stays on shade-grown coffee farms with opportunities to participate in the coffee picking and processing.
• 💰 Nicaragua is noted for being affordable for Central America, with budget-friendly accommodations and activities, though a luxury market is beginning to emerge.
• 🗣️ Nicaraguans are described as proud, lively people with a strong sense of independence and freedom of speech, celebrating life daily through dancing and singing.

Cultural Highlights and Practical Tips

• ⚾ A must-do experience is attending a baseball game, which is extremely popular in Nicaragua, more so than soccer, with affordable tickets and a relaxed atmosphere.
• 🍲 Street food culture includes "frangas" (backyard barbecue meets deep fryer) and staples like gallo pinto (rice and beans), plantains, and meat.
• 🚌 Public transportation, including "chicken buses" (converted North American school buses) and express minivans, is a common and affordable way to get around, though shuttle services offer more comfort for a higher price.
• 🏨 Recent developments include a surge in new colonial hotels in Granada and new surf camps and eco-lodges along the coast, catering to both budget and luxury travelers.
• ✈️ For those considering a longer stay, the book "Living Abroad in Nicaragua" covers visas, property, and the expat experience, with Spanish schools offering affordable immersion programs.