Cathedral in Granada
Nicaragua is one of the poorest/cheapest countries in the Americas. It’s been an underdog for a couple of decades. As a tourist attraction it’s easily overlooked for Panama or Costa Rica or Guatemala. Many may not even consider it. Nicaragua is really under the radar as a tourist destination, and as someone who loves discovering places off the radar where they knock your socks off and they haven’t been discovered I LOVE Nicaragua. I actually had doubts about writing this because some who have made Nicaragua as their home away from home or for their escape may not want extra attention, but that hasn’t stopped me in the past. I’ve been to Nicaragua twice and love loved both times. The first time I did a bunch of research. In my pursuits I came across a lot of warnings and enough to really scare you.
“Armed robbery attempts have increased in popular tourist destinations where armed, and sometimes masked, assailants emerge from roadside locations to stop vehicles and rob passengers. One common tactic is for assailants to place rocks, tree branches, or other large objects along roads and wait for cars to stop. When the driver gets out of the vehicle to remove the obstruction, assailants come out of hiding to rob victims. Criminals posing as Nicaraguan traffic police occasionally target visitors. The imposters conduct traffic stops and rob vehicle occupants at gunpoint.”
One post I read was an expat from the US that runs a white water rafting place, they had moved from central Oregon. In the post, they went on to explain that Nicaragua gets a bad rap that it doesn’t deserve. They compared the crime rate in the worst city in Nicaragua with an average city in Oregon and explained it was worse in Oregon. Looking again there are horrible warnings designed to scare you. In my research the crime rates are comparable to the US and in many cases worse. Compare Numbeo country crime rates of Nicaragua 41.93 and US 53.44 a higher crime rate. Hey, I’m a fan of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, they both have a lot to offer and shouldn’t be compared since they are so different in terms of what they have to offer. Costa Rica has the beaches, and Nicaragua has the big lake and historical colonial cities.
The cost of living is one-third cheaper in Nicaragua. Tourists are very concerned about safety, so it is necessary to look at crime statistics. The homicide rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Nicaragua was 12 in 2005, 13 in 2011, an increase of 8%. The homicide rate in Costa Rica in 2005 was 7.8, with a 32% increase in 2011 to 10.3. The ten most violent US cities each have more homicides than the whole country of Nicaragua. Chicago a city I wouldn’t even bat an eye to visit had 50x the homicide rate.
I hope you notice the HUGE lake, the largest freshwater lake in Central America, and really the largest islands in freshwater in the world.
Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the largest country in the Central American isthmus, bordering Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south
In Nicaragua it’s about the lakes, volcanoes and natural beauty. Lake Granada has hundreds of small islands in addition to the big volcano islands. Beautiful personal islands with one house. Jump in the water, it’s nice all year round. I have heard about the fresh water sharks, but they don’t hang out near the city on the Granada side. Catch a ferry over to Ometepe, and stay on the island. I went on a kayaking excursion. Amazing views.
Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua
Colonial Towns Granada – Ometepe holds the distinction of being the largest island in a fresh water lake in the world. It is also full of pre-Columbian history, statuary, and other relics, plus two magnificent volcanoes.
Granada is a very historical city. Nothing compares with it across central america, the closest is Antiqua, Guatemala. Incredible beauty.
At night go out on the closed walking streets and be serenaded with incredible food from around the world.
Managua has the big man in the hat on the largest hill in the city. Great views. You may not agree with the politics, and some local friends of ours are waiting for change, but it’s amazing. I personally would recommend spending your time with Granada as your base. Don’t hang out in Managua. It doesn’t have much to offer. Get out to the lake and you’ll feel the relaxing atmosphere. As a non native Spanish speaker, I still found enough people who spoke enough English to get around. You will want to have a few words. One of my friends only used USD while in Nicaragua. Even the ATM provided choices for USD or local. Our hotel took credit cards. You likely will want to make sure you have cash before you take the ferry out to Ometepe. On the islands things are pretty spread out and the roads are pretty rough, but that’s part of the adventure.
