4 Best Places to Visit in Nicaragua

Nicaragua is a beautiful, developing destination in Central America with coasts on either side, lush mountains, coffee farms, and traditional cultures to experience.

If you’re wondering where are the best places to go in Nicaragua, this post shares recommendations from our fellow intentional travelers, Troy and Dorene of Travel Life Experiences.

Visiting Nicaragua

We didn’t know what to expect when we first traveled to Nicaragua. We’ve been to other Central American countries before, so our perceptions of it were through those lenses. We learned quickly that Nicaragua was in a class of its own.

As a country that was once seen as the low-budget backpacker alternative to Costa Rica or Panama, Nicaragua is finding its own role among tourists. In addition, it is developing rapidly before our eyes.

We love its simplicity, its tropical beauty, its rawness, and how it’s changing in a good way.

We can guess that your first question about Nicaragua might be about safety. It depends on the current political situation. At one point, Nicaragua was rated as the safest country in Central America in terms of crime and homicide rates. That included the capital city of Managua (where rates were just below Ottawa, Canada).

You can check current travel advisories, but it’s also a good idea to get a fuller picture from recent travelers. Check Facebook groups or travel forums to see what the current situation is really like in the destinations you want to visit.

Here are some of favorite highlights of Nicaragua.

Ometepe Island, Nicaragua

Usually, islands are found in the ocean. But in Nicaragua, Ometepe Island is a giant figure-8-shaped island in the enormous Lake Nicaragua, formed by two volcanoes on each side of the island.

Ometepe is a tropical, adventurer’s paradise. When we first stepped on the ferry for a 1-hour journey to the island, we knew this place was different than the rest of the country. The towering volcanoes taunt you to see more.  

We love this place because of its calm pace from the rest of the country. Its lush jungle, with plenty of howler monkey sightings, and spectacular hiking trails are its main highlights.

We recommend climbing either Maderas or Conception Volcano, not only for a great workout, but also for some of the most spectacular views of the island. If you are not sure which one to pick, check out our video and tips for climbing the Ometepe Volcanoes.

Other than volcano hiking, you can rent a motorbike to tour the island, visit museums, zipline, kayak, check out the Butterfly Conservatory, and dip in some of the natural pools. Here are more details of the best things to do on Ometepe Island.

There are plenty of accommodation options. You can choose the location depending on what you want to do and see.

We recommend the areas of Santa Cruz, Merida and Balgüe. Check out our favorite location, called La Via Verde Organic Farm/BnB, super comfortable, great owners and location.

This is one of our videos about traveling slowly in Nicaragua during our first year as full-time travelers:

Granada, Nicaragua

This is a classic Spanish colonial-style town established since 1524. It has beautifully restored cathedrals, hotels and government buildings.

It reminds us of Antigua, Guatemala, but with a simpler, less polished and lower key vibe.  

Granada is the perfect place to wander, appreciate the architecture, relax and make it a jump off point for great day trips.

Things to do in Granada

Tour the city – it’s wonderful for pictures, especially the many cathedrals, such as the Iglesia Xalteva, the Iglesia Merced and the Iglesia Guadelope.

At night, visit La Cazada – the cobblestone “main strip” of bars and restaurants and patios is the perfect place to cool off from the heat. If you stay long enough, a group of talented breakdancing-street performers will come by and provide entertainment.

Learn about, eat and surround yourself with Chocolate- Visit the Chocolate museum and get inspired. Great place to eat, and enjoy their exceptional pool and bar to cool off after a hot day.

Day trips from Granada Nicaragua

–The Laguna de Apoyo – Just a short bus trip from town, this is a volcanic crater lake that is filled with warm water, soft sandy bottom and panoramic views of the crater wall.

-Hike up the Volcano Masaya and stare down the crater – A short walk up around the volcano allows you get up close and personal with a volcanic crater. Depending on the conditions, you may be able to see lava spewing from this magnificent site.

-Maysaya Market – The best place to go shopping for gifts, trinkets, pottery, and handicrafts is just a short 30-minute cab or bus ride from Granada.  

León, Nicaragua

There is a debate going on from travelers whether to visit Granada or to head to León when you visit Nicaragua. Both cities are very different. Thus, we recommend visiting both for varied reasons.

Leon is a more industrial city and the main hub of the revolution from 1974-1990.

Things to do in Leon

-Tour the Revolution Museum and wander the city to view the graffiti stories of the past.

– Tour the Cathedral of León. Not only is it the biggest cathedral in central America, but it is also spectacularly beautiful.

– Visit one of many fantastic restaurants in the city.

– Go volcano boarding at nearby Cerro Negro volcano for the day, what a rush!!

– Our favorite beach is also close to León. So, now, you really need to travel north. (Find out where this beach is below.)

Salinas Grandes Beach, Nicaragua

It was very surprising for us to find a secluded beach area (with very few tourists), which was almost impossible to find in the world.

While tourists flock to party in San Juan Del Sur, we set our sights further up north the coast to Salinas Grandes. Salinas Grandes is a small fishing and salt-mining village, just 45 minutes north of León.  

The north coast is an enormous 3-km beach of soft gray volcanic sand, with excellent surfing areas and killer sunsets across the horizon every evening.  

If you want adventure and, at the same time, tranquility, you get both here.

Things to do in Salinas Grandes

–  Surfing right out your front door (for experienced riders) – they’ve got surf lessons, wake boarding, and horseback riding activities.

-Visit the Salinas Grandes Day Beach resort – kayak or do some paddle boarding at the nearby Juan Venado Reserve. You can also relax, have a beer, taste some food, and enjoy the ocean view.

– Relax and walk the beach – Now, new restaurants, accommodations and many vacation home properties are available just steps away from the ocean at places like Salt Escapes Nicaragua

If you get tired of this tranquility, your guest house can arrange for a Volcano boarding trip or a city tour of the interesting City of Leon. 

What about Managua?  

Well, Managua is the capital and it’s a big city. A real big city. However, we prefer for it to be our arrival and departure point only.

We think you should spend more time in the other places above!

This is a guest post by Travel Life Experiences –  Troy and Dorene escaped the safety net of their secure and unfulfilling 20-year corporate careers to redesign life on their terms.  They sold everything they owned and decided to live a debt-free and location-independent life. They help people who feel they are missing out on life discover how meaningful travel can be the greatest accelerator of change through their website.

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