The Best of Nicaragua
A guide on traveling in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a great place to spend 3 months (the length of the tourist visa). I met a lot of people who stayed in each place for 2-3 nights, but it is simply not enough time to relax and enjoy an area. A lot of people find that when they are traveling they try to fit in as many places as possible only to end up feeling burnt out and like they are spedning so much of their trip on buses, planning where to stay next, how to get there, and so on. I’ve been there before lots of times. Nicaragua was a spot where I wasn’t doing this - everywhere I went I stayed at least one week. Doing this gives you time to relax at each destination, rather than just seeing all the sights/activities that area is known for in 2 days before moving on to the next place. Most places offer weekly discounts when you stay for at least a week as well.
When I was in Nicaragua, it was very quiet compared to other countries in Central America. It would be easy to not book anything in advance if you are wanting to stay in hostels and just book in person so you can negotiate better deals. Most people like to have things booked at least a couple days in advance to know where to go to when they get off the bus/out of the taxi. For me, there is nothing worse than wandering around in 35 degree heat with a backpack on looking for somewhere to stay so I always book things at least a few days in advance. If you happen to be traveling with a dog, you definitely will not want to be wandering around looking for a place in the heat, with your dog, and countless stray/guard dogs running up to you barking.
My advice would be to spend at least a week in each place you go to - so that you can really relax, read you book, make some friends, find a favourite new restaurant, cook food with fresh, local ingredients, and see/do the activities that the area is known for. For example, Ometepe, the volcanic island in the middle of the largest lake in Central America - is a place that you could visit for 3 nights. But even if your drive around the entire island on a dirt bike or an ATV, you won’t really have the chance to soak it in and absorb the culture. Ometepe is a very unique spot - a UNESCO biosphere reserve - and when you are driving with the wind in your face down one of the perfectly paved roads under the lush tropical palm trees, you won’t want to leave anytime soon. Now not all the roads on this island are paved - in fact some of the road is a very bumpy dirt road - but that is fun in a whole different way. Ometepe is a less developed, authentic and charming island that is very safe for travellers. There is a lot to learn here about permaculture farming, sustainability, and spirituality. The island is pure magic and if you would like to read more about my experience on Ometepe and how to get to Ometepe, check out the article I wrote on it.
My next favourite place in Nicaragua was a surfing lodge along a deserted stretch of coastline. To get here, we had to take a boat from the mainland, as there are no roads leading to this section of the coast. If you want to surf, walk along the beach at sunset with not on a soul in sight, do yoga from a second story ocean-view platform, drink beers, and play volley-ball, then this place might be the one for you - those are all my favourite activities to do while traveling anyway! I loved watching the sunset over the pacific ocean each evening and the stars that came next were glorious- no light pollution as there are no cities close enough. I had the surf to myself and it was heaven on earth for my dog to spend the days running free up and down the beach. The prices here are also great. You can stay here very cheaply and if there are two of you, it’s the same price to stay in a little bungalow on the beach as it is to stay in a dorm bed. There are also larger cabins on the beach with private bathrooms. There are private rooms as well, a few with shared bathroom and a few with private washrooms. We stayed in bungalow for one night and then we switched to a cabin for the remainder of the week. Try to avoid the weekend, as a lot of people come from the city on Saturdays, but from Monday-Friday, it’s quiet and the rooms are cheaper. If you want to book or see more pictures, check it out here.
Things to note: There are no ATMs in Poneloya or at Surfing Turtle Lodge, so you will need to stock up on cash in Leon before venturing out to Surfing Turtle Lodge.
Getting to Surfing Turtle: From Leon, you can either take the bus to Poneloya or you can take a taxi for the 30 minute drive. Because we were traveling with a dog, we took a taxi and it costed 350 cordobas (about $13 Canadian or $10 USD). If you are in a taxi, ask to go to Chepe’s bar. From Chepe’s bar, you can ask a local fisherman or boat driver in one the small boats to take you across to Los Brasiles. Then you can walk about 1 km to the lodge along the beach or if you would rather walk along the road through the jungle, then it’s about the same distance and with shade. Depending on the day, a horse and carriage may come to pick you & your luggage up to bring you to the lodge. They will definitely drop you off when you are leaving the lodge, but whether they pick you up or not depends on whether there was someone at Chepe’s to radio them to let them know you are arriving. Another reason why it’s always good to only travel with as much stuff as you are comfortable carrying for at least a good 20 minute walk.