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 Central American and the Carribean |
 Nicaragua: It's A New Destination Nicaragua counts the development of sustainable tourism as one of its primary national objectives, and, indeed, the country has a great deal to of interest to share with travelers.
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Nicaragua has much to work with to interest tourism: historic cities, among them some of the oldest Colonial centers in the Americas...
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 Located between Costa Rica and Honduras and the largest country in Central America, Nicaragua has much to work with to interest tourism: historic cities, among them some of the oldest Colonial centers in the Americas; indigenous cultures that were influenced by active trade with the Incas to the south and the Mayas to the north; hot Caribbean coasts; cool highlands; Pacific lowlands containing unspoiled beaches and Lake Nicaragua, the largest fresh water lake in Central America; scenic and, for the most part, quiescent volcanoes; tropical forests with hundreds of species of orchids and a wealth of tropical bird life; and a history that has linked Nicaragua almost symbiotically to the United States. |
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...new hotels are opening in Managua, the country's "new" capital city almost completely rebuilt after the devastating 1972 earthquake.
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 The new democratically elected government's commitment to make tourism a top national priority is visible in the spate of new hotels opening in Managua, the country's "new" capital city almost completely rebuilt after the devastating 1972 earthquake. Outstanding are the elegant (and expensive,) top-of-the-line, 157-room Hotel Real Inter-Continental Metrocentro; the very European 105-room Princess Hotel with its notably Spanish flavor; the 160-room Hotel Holiday Inn Select; and the convenient and moderately priced Hotel Las Mercedes, a Best Western located steps away from Managua's international airport. |
 the Footprints of Acahualinca, recently excavated 6,000-year-old footprints of a stone-age family moving across ancient mud flats. |
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 In addition to a lively nightlife, Managua's attractions include the startling new cathedral with its dramatic ceiling made up of dozens of heat diffusing domes. Looking somewhat like a gigantic egg carton with its lid removed, inside it is a stark and dramatic axample of leading-edge modern architecture. Other attractions include the Ruben Dario National Theater, named after Nicaragua's--and by many accounts, Latin America's--most important poet, and another is a world-class archeological treasure:  the Footprints of Acahualinca, recently excavated 6,000-year-old footprints of a stone-age family moving across ancient mud flats. Some believe these people who lived long before the fabulous Incan and Mayan civilizations might have been fleeing an erupting volcano. If you are lucky, internationally noted Nicaraguan archaeologist, Ramiro Garcia will be there to tell you about it when you visit the site. Ask him about his recent find of prehistoric mastodon bones in Nicaragua, proving that these giant ancestors of modern elephants made it much further into southern climes than anyone believed. Finally, there is the sight of vast and imposing Lake Nicaragua and towering Momotombo Volcano. |
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Leon was the country's first capital for 200 years and considered to be the "intellectual capital" with a university, religious colleges and the tomb of poet Ruben Dario... |
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 The fascinating rival Colonial cities of Leon and Granada are a must on a tour of Nicaragua. The two have been battling for centuries to claim that each has the best-preserved Colonial architecture. Leon was the country's first capital for 200 years and considered to be the "intellectual capital" with a university, religious colleges and the tomb of poet Ruben Dario guarded by a stone lion inside cavernous Metropolitan Cathedral. Highly recommended for accommodation or just for a lunch stop is the Hotel El Convento, once a religious convent and now a unique and charming inn. If your schedule doesn't permit an overnight stay, stop for lunch. |
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Hotel Colonial is located just steps away from Granada's central park...
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 Granada is Nicaragua's third largest city and an intriguing one with its Baroque churches and Colonial buildings. Near its famed central plaza are several outstanding accommodations: the intimate and cozy Hotel Colonial is a step back into Colonial days but offers all the amenities of a four-star hotel including a swimming pool that fills most of its handsome inside patio. It is ideally located just steps away from Granada's central park, a picturesque plaza and a hub for the city's outdoor social activities.  The plaza's bandstand is a pink wedding cake of nineteenth century architectural excess--but wonderful, anyway.  Another larger choice for accommodations located right on the plaza is the opulent 60-room Hotel Alhambra, its elegant lobbies reminiscent of a Vice Regal palace and its spacious veranda over-looking all the action in the park. It is unbelievably inexpensive for its opulence and comforts. Breakfast is $4. |
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The Isletas, a chain of more than 350 small islands, some containing vacation homes, can be visited by kayak.
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 In addition to the city's many attractions are the Isletas, a chain of more than 350 small islands, some containing palatial vacation homes, others available for tourism--one is the Nicarao Lake Resort, a rustic and charming cluster of island cabanas ranging in price from around $60 per weekend night-- and all reachable from downtown Granada in minutes by motor launch. Besides weekending affluent Nicaraguans, the more permanent residents of these many tiny islands make their living from fishing. A sight to see early in the morning is a small flotilla of children of all ages rowing themselves to the central school on one of the bigger islands. A more adventurous option for exploring the Isletas is by kayak. Currently, the adventure is offered by Mombotours and operated by Island Kayaks, the enterprise of an American and his Austrian wife. The kayaks are one-man, Fiberglas ocean canoes--it's a very big lake. A variety of programs are offered that range from several hours of training to birdwatching from your kayak to longer explorations of the Isletas including a stop to inspect an old Spanish Fort that protected Granada from lakeside incursions during Colonial times. |
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Another truly outstanding adventure in the area is the treetops canopy tour—and what an experience it is zipping over an ocean of coffee bushes way down under you!
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 Another truly outstanding adventure in the area is the treetops canopy tour traversing 17 arboreal platforms, some 60 feet off the ground, over a coffee plantation. The location is Hacienda Cutirre and the adventure is offered by Mombotours. It takes a four-wheel drive vehicle--you will be picked up early in the morning from your hotel--to navigate the backcountry roads into the coffee plantation. Once there, you are fitted for helmets and strapped into your climbing gear. Then, it's up metal ladders to narrow platforms high up in the canopy. The young men who supervise every move you make are trained in serious mountain climbing and see to it that you are never off your safety line. At first, it takes well-placed faith when you launch yourself off the platform, hanging in your harness from a pulley that zips you across forty or fifty feet of cable on to the next platform. After one or two traverses, it's a piece of cake--and what an experience it is zipping over an ocean of coffee bushes way down under you! Later that evening after cleaning up and a rest, it's time for a candlelit supper worthy of a Conquistador at La Casona de los Estrada, a converted eighteenth century house located in Granada's historic district. |
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The City of Masaya is also known as the "Cradle of Nicaraguan Folklore."
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 On the road from Granada back to Managua, an interesting stop is the Apoyo Lagoon, a handsome lake inside an extinct volcanic crater. It's a popular scenic spot for the locals who come to the crater on holidays for picnics and family fun. The preferred lookout is at one end of a town in which almost every home sells crafts. The town also has been the center of ceramics and pottery since pre-Columbian times. A neighboring town specializes in growing decorative plants, and every front yard of every home resembles a small plant nursery. Further down the highway is the city of Masaya, an anti-Somoza center during the late 1970s and a center of the political instability that rocked this country. Peter Davis, in his book, "Where Is Nicaragua?" wrote, "In the Monimbo district of Masaya, an uprising of the Indian population ... sparked a general rebellion against (the U.S.-backed dictator) Anastasio Somoza." Now, with a new, democratically elected and stable government, the most exciting spot in Masaya--also known as the "Cradle of Nicaraguan Folklore,"--is the city market, an entire city block that is walled in for the exclusive use of scores of booths selling crafts and many interesting restaurants where real Nicaraguan foods are prepared. One that stands out is "La Cazuela de Don Pancho," where the food is excellent, and evening entertainment includes joyous and colorful folk dance performances--some poking hilarious fun at some of the old Spanish Colonial court dances. |
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Barcelo Playa Montelimar, with an incomparable beachside setting, has everything required for a total escape--if mega-resorts are your thing.
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 Within easy reach of Managua's airport is the mega-resort, the Barcelo Playa Montelimar. With 290 rooms and an incomparable beachside setting, this all-inclusive resort has everything required for a total escape—if mega-resorts are your thing. The resort has its own landing strip for small planes, so, once there, you never have to leave the premises. However, the resort will arrange all sorts of package excursions, if you are so inclined. Once the retreat of the dictatorial Somoza family, the La Casona mansion--now reserved for weddings and conferences--looks down on 8-1/2 miles of beach, two pools, a disco, two restaurants, bars, casino, and literally several neighborhoods of duplex cabanas plus an impressive choice of activities. Rates are very reasonable. |
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Volcanic Obsession is an adventure packaged for lovers of the earth's irrepressible power and untamed natural beauty. |
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The options for interesting adventure tours in Nicaragua are many, and one of the most comprehensive and well-organized operators is Tours Nicaragua. This company offers 36 nature, trekking, cultural, classic and beach programs. General manager, Californian Richard Leonardi highlights two of them: "Jungle Love" is an eight-day/seven-night journey through a volcanic island chain in an unspoiled tropical lake and a trip through two great wildlife reserves with travel on densely forested jungle rivers. The package includes accommodations in several reserve lodges, two nights at Montelimar Beach Resort, round trip domestic flights from Managua to San Carlos, private boat trips and all meals. Volcanic Obsession is a 10-day/nine-night adventure for lovers of the earth's irrepressible power and untamed natural beauty. It is a trek across 10 volcanoes and cloud forests in 10 days, and an experience few travelers have had before. Treks include the Masayas volcano lava caves, Apoyo Crater Lake, Omotepe Island and isthmus, and more, with upscale accommodations the whole way. |
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There's much more to see and do in this little country, but, in short, it's an interesting and long over-looked tourism resource for travelers looking for a place that hasn't been spoiled yet. Somewhat behind its immediate neighbors in encouraging tourism, the country has now made enormous efforts to improve its tourism infrastructure and to advertise its many attractions. It also is benefiting from some of the mistakes made by its neighbors and is making impressive strides to insure the protection of its many natural resources. The times of "the Contras" and the Sandinistas are over, and these factions are being integrated peacefully into the governing fabric of the country. It's safe. The people are friendly. There's much to see and do. Check it out! Photo Credits: Rod Lopez-Fabrega, Nicaragua Institute of Tourism |
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© 2001 ROMAR TRAVEL GUIDES
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