Below will feature my top 5 favorite destinations in Nicaragua along with my personal experience of traveling.
Long story short, I took a short vacation to Nicaragua. After visiting, I wished I could have stayed longer. I absolutely fell in love with the country and its people. Below are my top 5 destinations you need to visit when traveling to Nicaragua. I have selected these places using my own experiences, talking with tourists, and chatting with tour guides. If you read further on in the article, you will recount my travel experience day by day and word for word. I hope this inspires you to visit the magical land of volcanoes, islets, and tree houses.
1. Granada – This Nicaraguan city literally took my breath away. The vibrant colonial Spanish architecture with cobblestone streets makes you feel as though you are traveling back in time. It literally is the oldest city in Central America. The city is filled with a variety of cafés and restaurants along with art studios. The art in Granada is just as colorful as the city itself. The vibrancy of the artwork and architecture can be noted in the people of Granada as well. When spending time in the city, make sure to check out the Chocolate Museum where you can learn how chocolate is made and try free samples. Many chocolate products are readily available for purchase as well. I also would recommend checking out Mombacho Cigars where they teach you how to roll your very own cigar. View the photos below of one of the most beautiful cities.
2. Masaya National Park – Masaya National Park is home to two volcanoes and five craters. Crater Santiago has a consistent lava lake and emits sulfur dioxide continuously. It sits elevated 635 meters above sea level. Crater Santiago was named “La Boca Del Inferno” or “The Mouth of Hell” by the Spanish conquistadors. You can get a glimpse of bubbling lava during dusk and when the sun is fully down. This national park has many different trails to hike. The Trail of Pencas will take you high on the Nindiri crater so you can see the “The Mouth of Hell” and the beautiful lagoon below. The Coyotes Trail will take you to the lagoon where you can spend the day relaxing. Many lava rocks and ash cover the scenery along with dry (almost straw-like) grass. It has a different look than the typical lush green seen all over this beautiful country. View the photos below of the active volcano. If going to see Masaya volcano, I would also recommend checking out the city of Masaya as well. You can take bike tours through the town stopping at different artesian locations (woodworking, basket-weaving, leather-making, etc.) and the wonderful market trying out different Nicaraguan fruits, vegetables, and main dishes.
3. Volcano Boarding Cerro Negro Near Leon – The city of Leon itself is a miniature Granada. It is home to the largest church in Central America named Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Cerro Negro is about an hour away from Leon (25 km). I had a great experience with the company Volcano Day and would recommend them for this experience. The company Volcano Day is located within the hostel Via Via. The company drives you to the base of the volcano where each person receives a backpack containing goggles and a jumpsuit. It is recommended to bring or buy a scarf/bandana to cover your face and neck. You are given a wooden sled to carry up the volcano along with your backpack. You stop about ¾ of the way up for a photo shoot and then also have another shoot at the very top. The staff films and photographs you as you descend the volcano via your wooden board. The company does not charge you for any photos taken during the excursion. Upon returning to Leon, you enjoy a celebratory beer at Via Via. It’s always “Toña Time” in Nicaragua. View the photos below of this once-in-a-lifetime adrenaline-rushing experience.
4. Ometepe Island – This is the one place that I did not actually visit on my trip. However, after talking to tourists, locals, and tour guides it is a MUST SEE. I was able to view Ometepe on the bus ride from the border to Granada taking a few pictures as we passed by. Ometepe is an island in Lake Nicaragua that was formed by 2 volcanoes. You need to take a ferry to get there from the city of San Jorge. View Ferry Schedule HERE. Once on the island, you can rent a motorbike or scooter for easy transportation. You can hike both Volcano Concepcion and Volcano Maderas. There is a natural spring on the island called Ojo De Agua that is perfect for spending a relaxing day swimming and eating. Adventure to the famous San Ramon waterfall during the rainy season. Visit the beach of Punta Jesus Maria. Kayak near Playa El Perú looking for caimans. Make sure to check out the natural reserve of Charco Verde for beautiful scenery and local animal sightings. There is so much to do on this island that you could literally spend an entire week in wanderlust. There are even tree houses for you to select as your stay.
5. Islets de Granada – The Islets of Granada were created from an eruption of the Mombacho Volcano thousands of years ago. Now there is a community of 1,200 people living on these islands. There are residential homes, restaurants, stores, hotels, and even a cemetery. Many of the people that live here are fishermen, however, there are many luxurious homes on these islets as well. This area is inhabited by many animals including caimans, bats, monkeys, and a large variety of birds. Your guide will take you for a boat ride stopping to explain the wildlife as you cruise along the islets. Many tours will take you to a restaurant for you to try traditional Nicaraguan food and drinks. View the photos below of the Islets of Granada.
One Week In Nicaragua - My. Personal Recount
Granada – Leon - Managua
What does one immediately think of when hearing of the country Nicaragua? For me, this was a country that I truly did not know much about. The first things that came to mind were large freshwater lakes and active volcanoes. I knew it was the largest country in Central America. In the past, I had partaken in cigars from Nicaragua so I understood the country must grow tobacco. My boyfriend growing up nearly half of his life in Nicaragua, shared with me the crime rate is higher than in Costa Rica. He warned me I should keep my purse and belongings attached to me at all times. Heading into the country these were my initial thoughts, but I knew that I had so much more to learn and that I had to gain my own opinions about the country through my personal experiences. Here is a day-by-day synopsis of my one-week vacation in Nicaragua, a land I have come to love.
Day 1: One thing to know about the buses in Central America is that they always run a little behind. My bus was an hour late picking me up from my bus stop, but that was to be expected. This day entailed about a 6-hour drive, 2-3 hours of immigration excitement (standing in line, paying fees, and showing paperwork), and a stop at a local restaurant. I was standing at the bus stop a little before 6:30 am in San Ramon, Costa Rica, and arrived in Granada, Nicaragua around 4:00 pm. The bus station was only 1.5 blocks from my hotel, so I took a small stroll down the street.
I decided to spoil myself and stay at a hotel for 3 nights. Usually, I travel cheaply and stay in hostels with shared rooms, however, I decided to try something different. As I walked into Hotel La Polvora, I was greeted by a smiley-faced woman who was very bubbly. She showed me around the hotel and even introduced me to all the pets that call La Polvora their home which included: 2 doves, 1 parrot, 1 cat, and 1 dog. The hotel had a large kitchen and dinning room which was next to a beautiful garden where you could eat breakfast. Right behind the kitchen were a pool and little workout area. In a secret area behind the pool, was where I stayed in my own house that was separate from the hotel and can be rented on AIRBNB. (Click HERE If Interested). It was just gorgeous. This house was created with tile that is crafted right in the back of the hotel and on a later date I learned how to make this tile. After the smiley lady showed me to my secret house in the back of the hotel, I unpacked and became acquainted with the place.
I decided I wanted to explore the city for a bit, so I headed to walk toward the Central Park of Granada taking pictures of the colorful streets along the way. I found a restaurant where many people were celebrating Mother’s Day and thought to myself, “This place must have some good eats.” I stopped for dinner and then returned to the hotel because it was getting dark. The voice of my boyfriend was in my head, “You need to be careful after dark walking alone.” Along the way, I met a man named Antonio Banderas that only lived a block away from the hotel. I was intrigued by his name and wanted to know about his life, so I stopped to chat for about an hour before retreating back to my secret place behind the hotel.
Day 2: I woke up early, as I usually do in any Central American country. People here live for the day and not the night. That perspective can be a little different in the United States. I strolled to the large kitchen in the lush garden of the hotel for breakfast where I met another employee of the hotel. I had oatmeal and fruit as the employee shared wonderful places to visit in his city.
This morning it was rainy, so I took my time getting ready and then headed for a walk around the town. It was my mission this morning to visit the churches and cathedrals of Granada and to take time capturing photos. I was able to see Cathedral of Granada, Guadalupe Church, Iglesia La Merced, Iglesia Xalteva and Iglesia San Francisco. Iglesia San Francisco led me to a local library where I was able to meet the librarian and he showed me around his facility including gorgeous study areas with long wooden tables placed within a garden of greens and flowers. Then I walked my way to the shores of Lake Nicaragua, which is the largest lake in the country. Even though it is fresh water it still contains sharks. Along the way, I stopped at Guadalupe Church and found myself eating at Flamingo, a restaurant near the shores of Lake Nicaragua. I had some tostones and a large margarita. The sun was shining and the view from Flamingo was gorgeous.
After walking the entire day, I decided to head back to the center of the city via taxi. The center of the city is filled with small art studios that I perused; however, I didn’t buy anything. Looking back, I wish I would have, but it is so difficult to carry and transport artwork when traveling, especially in Nicaragua where the busses are abnormally small. The artwork in this city is so vibrant and full of color just like the buildings within it. After taking in the galleries, I decided to walk my way then to the Chocolate Museum where I took a self-guided tour on the history of chocolate in Nicaragua. The history is presented in both English and Spanish using pictures and models for you to view. An employee at the museum had me sample a variety of chocolate products there. In the end, I ended up buying caramelized cocoa beans to crush on top of my smoothie and oatmeal bowls I make myself for breakfast.
My next stop was going to be the Mombacho cigar shop, however, I ended up running into a man from London on the street. We ended up grabbing a drink at a local coffee shop to chat in English. He and I both welcomed conversation in English as it is both our native languages. He had been living in Nicaragua for the last 15 years and worked helping both locals and students in the school systems learn English. He told me he earned about 73 cents per day, but he did it because he wanted to help others. After we said our “goodbyes” I headed toward the Mombacho cigar shop. I was interested in these specific cigars because I had tried them before but had not realized they were grown on the volcano of Mombacho in Nicaragua. The Mombacho cigar shop showed me how to make a cigar and then I could roll my own to keep for the price of $12.00. I’m not much of a cigar smoker myself, but I found this experience to be informational and exciting.
By this time, it was getting close to sun-down so I thought it would be a good idea to walk back to the hotel. I stopped to buy some Vigoron from a street vendor which is a traditional dish in Nicaragua. It is boiled yucca topped with chicharron and shredded cabbage placed in a banana leaf. We also have this in Costa Rica, so I had eaten it before. It’s a version of Central America’s fast food and is very delicious. However, you don’t want to eat it all the time if you are worried about your waistline. I picked up two vigorons and headed back to the hotel to eat with Antonio Banderas. He was sitting on his front porch when I arrived, so we ended up chatting again for the evening. It is always very helpful for me to have as many conversations in Spanish as possible. Conversations help expand my vocabulary at a larger rate than any class ever has or will.
Day 3: I woke up early today to head to the city and take out local currency from the bank. I ended up eating at Granada's Grill for breakfast which is in the Central Park. I recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling because you can get traditional food for such a reasonable price. Many restaurants near the Central Park have increased prices because of tourism, but this restaurant continues to have prices that the locals can afford. Breakfast cost me less than USD 3.00 and consisted of rice, beans, toast w/ jelly, bacon, eggs, and maduro (fried plantain) with a side of coffee or tea.
Upon returning to my hotel, an employee was kind enough to show me how to make tile by hand. I had no idea that people still did this because I assumed machines had taken over this art form. It was interesting to see how he colored or dyed the cement and how the designs are placed within the tile using different metal frames and then quickly removed before hardening.
My tour for the day showed up 30 minutes late as expected. A full van of people stopped outside my hotel. The only spot open was shotgun, so I grabbed it and chatted with the driver for the 45-minute drive to Laguna de Apoyo. It is rainy season here, so it rained on and off during our drive. We were dropped off at the hostel called Paradiso Nicaragua which was just gorgeous. I would recommend just renting a room here if you have time. Upon arriving I took out a kayak to check out the lagoon. I got a quarter of the way around the lagoon when dark clouds started to roll in and large bursts of thunder were heard. I decided, in case of lightning, I didn’t want to be stranded with a big metal paddle in the middle of a large body of water, so I turned back to the hostel. I arrived just before it started to downpour. I ordered myself a watermelon mojito with a chicken salad and relaxed with a good book for about an hour or so. Then it was time for my hour-long massage which cost only USD 20. Overall, it was a relaxing day with so-so weather. However, the best part was seeing a large rainbow over the lagoon after the rain had ceased.
The relaxing part of the day was over and now I was on to another adventure. From the hostel, we were placed into a taxi that brought us to our next tour guide. We loaded a van full of people heading to Volcano Masaya. This is the only volcano in Nicaragua where you can see lava. This becomes more and more evident as it gets darker. Driving to Volcano Masaya was just like driving to the grocery store because it does not have much elevation standing at 635 meters. However, for this reason, it is safer for tourists to visit because an escape can be rather quick. We hiked up a crater of the volcano that is no longer active to get a view of the active crater and the sunset over the lagoon. It was a spectacular view, however, during this hike you can smell sulfur from the active crater. I was coughing as we were hiking, and it is highly discouraged to complete this hike if you have asthma. As we returned to the active crater below (called Santiago) it was getting darker, and you could see hints of red. Many people flocked to this crater to take pictures at this point. The entire day spent at the Lagoon de Apoyo and the Masaya volcano came to about USD 25.
We then took about an hour’s drive back to Granada. I had the hotel employees order me some street tacos and went straight to bed because I was exhausted.
Day 4: This morning was a bit rainy, so I slept in a little bit and packed up because my stay at La Polvora was coming to a close. I would now be staying at hostels for the rest of my trip. The hotel found me a taxi and I moved to the Selina in Central Park. My stay here was $20 a night with a single room with a double bed and shared bathroom. Selina’s can be found all over the world and are often an affordable option. This hostel is always nice because they have a welcoming socialization hour for everyone joining the hostel that day, so you get to know others traveling. I recommend staying here if you are traveling solo because you get to meet many other people. However, upon checking in I signed up for a boat tour of the islands surrounding Mombacho Volcano that started at 3:00 in the afternoon. This means that I would miss the welcome socialization with others, but that was ok because I was leaving for Leon in the morning anyway.
After checking in, I decided to take a walk to the local market to see if I could buy some fruits for breakfast. The market was directly on the street and through different crowded alleys in a large building. Vendors sold everything from shoes and purses to fish and mangos. I ended up buying some rambutans and headed to the central park to eat them. It was here that I met Nelson who is a tour guide. He sat down next to me on my bench at the park and asked if I had any plans for the day. I just stated that I had my tour at 3:00 in the afternoon, but otherwise, I was free. He ended up showing me an art school that was in Granada. I was able to meet the teachers and local artists there. They have exhibits of both the teacher’s and student’s artwork for locals and tourists to buy. It was in this building that they also housed a local radio station called The Volcan. Nelson and I were able to sit in on a live radio show to watch the hosts interact with each other and play music using large electronic equipment that I don’t know anything about. After, we decided to grab a drink of natural juice at a local establishment. It was here that we decided that Nelson was going to take me on a tour of his home city Masaya in the morning. We finished our conversation and then parted ways until the following morning.
Now it was time for the island tour around Mambocho volcano. 365 small islands surround the Mambocho Volcano created by a previous eruption. Many people live on these islands, and they have their own community including a cemetery, church, restaurants, and medical clinic there. Some houses are primitive, and others are large mansions of Nicaraguans or foreigners. A taxi picked me up outside of my hostel and a short jolly man welcomed me in the car. We started talking and things immediately got political. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I was lacking vocabulary for this serious conversation in Spanish, so I completed many head nods with raised eyebrows during this car ride. We stopped at a dock on Lake Nicaragua where I was instructed to board a boat after paying for bananas to feed the monkeys. It turned out that I was going to get my private tour on a boat with over 16 seats. The boat captain had grown up on the islands himself and was very knowledgeable about the animals and birds in specific. I was able to see baby Green Herons learning how to walk on the lily pads. It was sooooooo cute! Like the kind of feeling you get when you see a kitten snuggling up to a puppy. My guide was also knowledgeable about the people that lived in this area as well. He could tell you who lived where, where the people were originally from, and what they were known for. There were even islands for sale and the guide often stated,” for a mere USD 1,000,000 this tiny island without sewer and electricity could be yours.” Along the way, we ended up spotting a caiman, which is similar to a crocodile but smaller in size. In addition, we were able to meet a few spider monkeys. I took my first banana and attempted to feed one of the monkeys. The monkey grabbed it and then threw it back in my face. I then decided to keep the second banana I bought for my breakfast the next day. We then docked our boat at a local restaurant. At this time, I wasn’t very hungry, however, I did try a native alcoholic drink that was made of corn. It was called Chicha Maize and it was tasty! I do recommend giving it a try. At this restaurant, I was able to chat with a few locals about living on the islands, which was very interesting. The entire ride back on the boat was during sunset and the views were very picturesque. By the time I returned to the Selina Hostel it was between 7-8 pm. I ended up taking a shower and calling it a night because I had an early morning tour to the city of Masaya.
Day 4: On vacation, I always wake up bright and early. This day was no exception as my eyes opened at 5:00 am. It’s amazing how different you feel about getting up early when you are actually looking forward to every moment of your day. I was meeting my tour guide Nelson at 7:00 am outside of my hostel. I wouldn’t be coming back to Granada, so I needed to make sure that everything was packed.
For less than a USD dollar, Nelson and I hopped on a van-like bus heading to the village of Masaya which was 45 minutes away. Taking the bus in Nicaragua is very different from taking a bus in the United States and Costa Rica. A worker of the bus stands outside the tiny van while it is moving yelling out its destination so that people at the bus stops know where it is headed. There are many people crammed in this small van and your personal space is definitely violated, but not in a bad way. It is literally butts to nuts. You will smell other people as their armpits are in your face and I even had a small puppy breathing heavily down my neck for half of the duration. Just when you think the van is at its total compacity, 3 more people will hop on. You may think, how is this possible? However, they just make it work. This entire experience reminded me of my time in Moshi, Tanzania where the bus system ran entirely the same way. After 45 minutes, Nelson and I arrived at our stop in Masaya. About a quarter of the van needed to unload for us to exit the bus with a little dignity. My luggage did some body surfing from the back of the bus until it reached the exit door. We were officially ready to start our day in the fresh air of Masaya.
First, on the “To-Do” list today was to go to Nelson’s home. I would store my luggage here for the day, get breakfast and get to meet his family. Upon walking up to Nelson’s home, he showed me a bunch of baby pineapples that were growing in his yard. They were pink in color, and I had no idea that pineapples were ever that color. It was very beautiful, to say the least. A young girl, Nelson’s cousin greeted me by placing her hands together. It almost looked like the young girl was praying. At the time, I was unsure of this cultural tradition. Seeing this made me want to bow and say “Ohayō Gozaimasu” like in Japan. Nelson quickly informed me that there was a different greeting for children in their indigenous culture. The children put out their hands and then you cup your hands over theirs when saying hello. It was a sign indicating they respect you and are ready to learn from you. This immediately made me smile. Life is all about the small things and learning this “small thing” was going to be one of the highlights of my day. We walked a little further to the house of Nelson’s family, where they set up a table and two chairs for Nelsen and me to have breakfast. I was able to meet his grandmother, many aunts, and cousins. We enjoyed a traditional nacatamal which is essentially a meat and veggie-filled tamale. The name doesn’t derive from Spanish but from the indigenous people of Nicarao who speak the Nawat language. The nacatamal tasted similar to other tamales I have had in the past, however, it did seem to have a bit more oil than what I was used to. I also tried a new fruit called mamon. They grow in bunches like grapes; however, they have skin that you need to peel off before consuming. There is also a pit in the middle. Nelson’s cousin squeezed some lime and put a dash of salt over them before we gave them a try. They were very fresh and delicious.
After breakfast, Nelson took out two bikes for us to discover the town of Masaya. Our first stop was at Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya where there was a majestic view of the volcano from a distance. There was playground equipment for children to play on, beautiful brick-laid walkways, and many little shops where artisans sold items. Near the park was an artesian school for students. As we walked around, we were able to see students working on their word working skills by making hand-crafted bowls and chalices. Many wooden masks adorned the walls of this school. We then went to visit different artisans working in the town including woodwork, leather work, bamboo weaving, and even a place that was specifically for making maracas. When visiting the maraca makers, the lady presented me with a maraca as a gift. She asked me my name and in under a minute, she hand-carved my name so perfectly with a beautiful picture of the Masaya volcano in the background. So much talent surrounded this town. If I had carved my name in the maraca, it would have taken me half a day and looked nothing like something one could sell. The second to last stop in Masaya was Central Park. This is where Nelson used to have his tourism office before COVID. During covid, people broke into his office stealing over 8 bikes, electronic equipment, and advertisement for his company. He was now starting his company from the ground up again. Like every town in Central America, a church stood in the middle of the park along with a beautiful gazebo. We decided to chill here for a while before heading to the local market. The local market was bustling with people from everywhere. Buses of food, clothes, and people filled the parking lot. The narrow alleys of the market were filled with people. This was like the local mall. A place to go where you could get whatever you needed such as food, shoes, kitchen equipment, wallets, telephones, and much more. We ended up chatting with a few people that Nelson knew for a while and I also tried a few new fruits that I hadn’t seen before. By now it was early afternoon, and we were a bit tired. We biked back to Nelson’s home to return the bikes and grab my luggage.
My hotel for the night was booked in Leon, however, I needed to stop in the capital city of Managua to get a bus to Leon. We boarded a small van-like bus again to make our way to Managua. This was a 30-minute bus ride and this time the bus was not as full as it was in the morning. It was a bit more of a relaxing transport. While in Managua, Nelson wanted to stop at an educational fair that was taking place at a local hotel. His old professors and classmates would be there. As we walked into the conference center, we approached a booth with professors and students in biology from a local college. Of course, Nelson knew everyone. The college students explained to me how they tag different bats and snakes in the country to keep track of the animal population. I even held two different live snakes for the first time in my life. I don’t know if that was on my bucket list, but it was now something I can say I have done in my lifetime. Nelson and I were extremely hungry for lunch, so we found people selling the traditional Nicaraguan meal of Bajo. Bajo is boiled casava/yuca topped with shredded beef, a cabbage salad, and lime juice. It was delish. It reminded me of pot roast but accompanied by a salad on top. We walked around the convention looking at different natural products that were made in Nicaragua. Nelson told me this fair only happens once a year and people get excited about it. Buses and buses of students from all over flooded the building. I was even able to see some traditional Nicaraguan dances in the auditorium.
Bajo
It had been a full day for me, but it wasn’t over. Nelsen and I headed to the bus station where I took a bus to Leon, and he took a bus back home to Masaya. To be honest, I think I slept most of the way there because I was extremely exhausted. I took a cab to my hostel in hostel row as they call in Leon. I was staying at ViaVia which was a popular hostel there. The people were very nice, and the room was very clean. However, this hostel was connected to a very lively bar/restaurant. When staying at a hostel one is usually able to meet people and talk about your day, however, since there wasn’t a common place for the hostel stayers no one had a clue who was staying at the hostel and who were just patrons of the bar/restaurant. I placed my items in my room and started to walk the city taking pictures of various churches and cathedrals. I started to feel a bit sick to my stomach, so I headed back to my room where I stayed for the rest of the night. Tomorrow I would be volcano boarding and I wanted to make sure I felt up for that!
Day 5: I woke up early today feeling well refreshed. Before leaving my room, I made sure to wear my Volcano Day T-shirt. Volcano Day is the company that I will be volcano boarding with today. For those of you who don’t know what volcano boarding is, let me explain. You hike up a volcano with a wooden sled and then you sled down the dried ash of the volcano. Yes, you must carry the sled up the volcano with you! I had time before the tour started at 8 am so I decided to walk the town for a bit. While walking, I ran across this cute French bakery. I decided to get an iced tea and a fresh croissant for breakfast. Yes, I went against my gluten-free diet today, but when in Rome do as the Romans do. It was delicious, probably even more so because I never eat fresh bakery because gluten-free products in bakeries within Central America are extremely difficult to find. I enjoyed every bite and sip before returning to my hostel Via Via, where the company Volcano Day was stationed.
We waited in the restaurant of Via Via for 10 tourists to arrive. Just remember everyone runs on Nicaraguan time, so when the tour starts at 8 am that probably means 8:30 am. In addition, to the tourists, along with us came our tour guide, 2 volunteers, and one driver. We were given a small briefing of what our excursion would look like and then we were off. Everyone loaded into the back of a military-style truck that was covered by a tarp to protect us from the rain. For an hour we trudged along highways and dirt paths until we stopped at our final destination of Cerro Negro. The truck pulled up to the base of the volcano. We were each handed our wooden sled and cloth knapsack of gear including goggles and jumpsuits.
The climb commenced as we followed our fearless guide to our first stop 30 minutes into the hike. I learned on the way up that our tour guide, who was native to Nicaragua, had seen a Packers game at Lambeau Field. He went to college in the United States and during that time he and his friends had made a pilgrimage to see the home of Vince Lombardi. It still amazes me how much people from other countries of the world know about the United States when people from the United States only seem to know about the United States. The two volunteers were strapped with all different types of camera equipment. Our first break during the climb was also our first photo shoot. We were lucky as it wasn’t raining yet, but the clouds were rolling in. It was difficult to get good pictures with the green environment in the background. The nimbostratus clouds were here to stay. After everyone felt their inner model was truly found, we headed up the last part of the volcano for a 15–20-minute hike. We could not see the volcano base as clouds surrounded us upon reaching the top. The guide had us feel the ash on the volcano as it was warm. When sitting on the ash your bum kept warm like a seat heater in the dead of winter. We were instructed to put our jumpsuits and goggles on. The time had come to sled down the volcano into the cloudy abyss. However, not before taking pictures in our brightly colored jumpsuits.
Looking as good as we could in banana-colored jumpsuits, we lined up to take our ride down the volcano. I surprisingly was the 2nd person to go down the volcano. The day before I was feeling like I might just walk down, but now that I was here, I was so excited to get down that ashy volcano. I could hardly wait. It felt weird to start sledding because you could not see halfway down the volcano or the base of it. Maybe it made this entire procedure easier to start. I sat down on the wooden sled putting my hinny to the back of the board. There was a string on the front of the sled that I pulled up so that ash would not fly on my face. Using my feet, I started to push myself down the hill. Your feet are what you use for the breaks, so it is important to keep them on the ground. If you lift your feet, it is not recommended that you put them back on the ground because you could hurt yourself when going too fast. I was super excited that I was on my way. It took a bit to gain speed because the sled at first was leaning to the right and then the left. Once I gained speed, there was no turning back. It was a quick glide down the volcano. Volunteers were stationed at two different spots taking pictures and videos of the volunteers on the way down. I got to a point on the volcano where I saw the person’s sled mark before me disappear, so I knew this is where the ride must end. I picked up my wooden sled and headed to the army truck a few hundred feet away. As I returned to the truck, I was still feeling euphoria, however, the first person down the volcano had hurt himself. His sled had turned to the side halfway down the hill and the ash had scraped off the skin on his forearm. Blood was dripping from his arm and had the appearance of fluorescent orange. We took water and antiseptic to wash the wound, but there was nothing at this time to bandage it up with. After we finished doing this, it started to pour. Only half of the tourists were down the volcano, which meant that the other half would be going down the volcano in the pouring rain. Once everyone finished, we loaded up into the army truck, and off we went. The ride back was less quiet than the ride there. I think it was partly due to the fact we could hardly hear each other due to the large droplets of water beating heavy on the thick tarp above us.
Once we arrived at Via Via, we all went in to have a celebratory beer together. The beer is free when completing the volcano boarding tour. We enjoyed non-other than a Toña when in Nicaragua. When traveling, these are some of the best moments. We are sitting at a large table with people from all over the world (tourists from the volcano board event) chatting about how travel can change a person. It is so interesting to hear others’ perspectives and how they are using their newfound knowledge about travel to change their business, personal life, and relationships. So many people talked about finding more about themselves while traveling, making them more confident in themselves. A young couple was heading home after their year of travel abroad to make their camper van and continue to travel Canada. There was a young lady from the Netherlands who was traveling for a year before deciding to fully commit to her boyfriend for life, someone with whom she had spent her entire life thus far. There was a small business owner from Germany, trying to change his company’s philosophy on working online and abroad when possible. I enjoy these moments where you can have real conversations with real people and then turn around and say goodbye for life.
I found myself a bit hungry after the beer, so I decided to take a stroll into the city to find lunch. Someone told me that curry in Nicaragua was amazing, so I found a restaurant that had curry on the menu, and I dined there. To be quite honest, I wasn’t very impressed with my meal, so I won’t mention the name of the restaurant. However, I did enjoy a mojito there which was pretty on par.
After my meal, I went to the Museum of the Revolution. I was able to have a personal tour of the entire building and museum from Francisco. He fought in the revolution of 1979-1990 himself! This was my first attempt doing an entire tour in Spanish, as my Spanish is mas-o-menos (so-so). More emphasis on the menos. Francisco had so much passion when retelling the history of Sandino and the Sandinistas, that I often could feel what he was saying. The museum consisted of old newspaper clippings blown up to poster size for all to read with ease. There were also murals of important gorillas that aided in the war. The building was the old Palace of Communications for President Somoza (dictator) before it was overtaken by the Sandinistas. Francisco also brought me to the roof to see a wonderful view of Leon. It was gorgeous and I took many pictures. Before leaving, I bought a few postcards with Sandino on them to aid in the restoration of the museum.
I was so happy that I went to the museum as I learned a lot, but my energy was feeling dark and heavy now. To change my energy, I decided to check out a local brewery. The name of the brewery was Beers & Pallets. As I walked in, the place was full of light and friendly smiles. The brewery had over 12 different beers to offer in-house. It was cutely decorated as its name suggests with pallets. The staff was very eager to explain each of the beers to me. I ended up getting a flight so that I could try at least four different beers. I am a sucker for a Saison in the summer and during this time they had two, so I was a happy camper.
I strolled back to my hostel as it was getting dark. As a single female traveler, I often don’t like to be out after dark in a non-touristy area. A little rest and relaxation seemed what I needed at the time. I woke up to music coming from my hostel bar. It was reggae and so I was intrigued. I attempted to do a little with myself (brush my hair and teeth) and then headed out to the band. I met a plethora of people that night from all around the world. Who knew that a seat at the bar was like a museum to at least 5 different countries? Needless to say, I enjoyed my night and didn’t wake up at 5 am the next morning.
Day 6: This morning was a morning of pure rain! It helped me sleep in after a few too many vodka limes. I have been rarely drinking, so even when I have a few, it hits me like a 10-pound Mack truck. I lazily showered this morning and then put on a green dress before trying to find some food. I took out the umbrella and headed down the street by foot on my conquest. This led me to a place that sold smoothie bowls and fresh fruit seemed so appealing to me right now. I put my order in and decided to wait under the awning outside. Of course, the man from Israel that lost the majority of his forearm skin volcano boarding passed me by. He was out in the rain looking for a raincoat for a hike he had today up a different volcano. It was Sunday and not many shops are open in Nicaragua on Sunday. I told him he would be lucky to find a store that is open today and asked him about his arm. His arm looked a lot better today than yesterday. A lady came out to say my smoothie bowl was ready, so I headed into the building to chow down on my breakfast.
Today, I wanted to explore Leon a little bit more before leaving, but since it was raining, I decided to take a bus to Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, earlier. Nelson, my tour guide from day four of the trip, would be meeting me in Managua. We decided to meet at Buffalo Wild Wings near a shopping mall for lunch. Together we shared some skinless buffalo wings with fries. We chatted about what we both had been up to for the past 2 days.
After finishing, Nelson and I headed via bus to the Plaza de la Fe near the lake. It was full of very large colorful metal trees and a large metal statue of Sandino, a revolutionary hero of Nicaragua. Nelson told me each metal tree was worth $4000 and many Nicaraguans were upset that the president’s wife insisted on such expensive decorations for the park. It was a very beautiful place. Near the plaza, there were many other places for kids to play including a water park and elaborate jungle gyms. There were many vendors and places to sit near the lake which was relaxing. A band played music off in the distance. Next to lake Managua was a replica of Sandino’s house that we were able to tour. I loved how white and bright the house was taking in so much sunshine. There was a cute little patio in the back as well. This house was full of photographs and paintings of Sandino’s family. However, the house was a modest size. Within walking distance from the replica of Sandino's home was a Theater called Teatro Nacional Ruben Davio. Nelson and I decided to be nosey and see what was playing that day. We snuck into the theater to see 5 minutes of “Peter and the Wolf” which included an entire orchestra. The theater was very beautiful, however, we did not want to spend the rest of our time today watching a children’s performance. We left by foot and immediately stumbled upon Plaza De Revolucion. This was an open square within the city filled with old architecture including: the oldest cathedral in Managua called Catedral de Santiago (just like the active crater in Volcano Masaya), a central park with monuments of important historical figures, and the National Palace of Culture. Nelson and I spent the rest of the day here wandering around and taking pictures. There were many restaurants nearby so we selected one to put up our feet, grab some grub and chat. It was the end of a perfect day. I ended up taking a taxi back to my hotel and Nelson ended up taking a bus back to Masaya. Another day in Nicaragua was completed!
Day 7: Today was a long day of travel via bus. I wish I could say that border crossing from Nicaragua to Costa Rica was easy and painless, however, it was not for me. There is a learning curve to everything, and this experience definitely taught me a few things for my next journey.
· Remember you cannot bring drones into Nicaragua. If you do, you can pay to store items in a different building for a daily fee. The fee is dependent on how large your item is. Storing the item can take extra time involving paperwork and walking to different immigration buildings multiple times to show said paperwork. My bus ended up leaving me because this process took so long. I would just recommend not bringing your drone altogether.
· Bring United States Dollars with you to pay Nicaraguan Immigration when entering and leaving. You can pay exit and entrance fees with United States Dollars only. They will not accept Nicaraguan Cordoba or Costa Rican Colonies. You need $13.00 to enter Nicaragua and $4.00 to leave Nicaragua. It is best to have one-dollar bills if possible because if your teller does not have change, you will wait until others pay with one-dollar bills for you to get your change back. If that is something you even want to do.
· I traveled with the Tica Bus. The Tica Bus has many positives and negatives. A nice thing about the Tica Bus is you can buy tickets online. For other bus companies in Costa Rica, you will need to go to the ticket office to buy a bus ticket. Buying tickets online helps travelers that need to show an exit ticket when entering Costa Rica. For those that don’t know, a tourist visa for Costa Rica is only 90 days so when you enter the country you need to provide a ticket that shows you are leaving before 90 days. If you don’t know when you want to leave Costa Rica just yet, you can buy this bus ticket to Nicaragua via the Tica Bus online to show immigration for only $40.00. However, there are many applications to download on your phone that create plane tickets for you at a lesser cost. This is an official ticket and may make you feel a bit more secure with immigration. The Tica Bus has ridiculous wait times at immigration because you need to wait for everyone on the bus. We sat on the bus for 2 hours on the Costa Rican side waiting for a bus. Once the bus got there, we then hopped on the other bus only to wait one more hour for an immigration officer to enter the bus on the Nicaraguan side. This immigration officer took all of the passports from our bus and did not return with them until 30 minutes later. It is WAY cheaper and WAY faster to take a city bus from the border to your next location. It cost me $40 on the Tica Bus and $10 on the city bus. That is quite the difference. The one perk of the Tica Bus is that it does have a bathroom on board, whereas on the city bus you make a 20-minute bathroom stop at a designated public restroom.
Even though the logistics of traveling can be intense at times, it never makes me want to stop traveling. It makes me feel like I need to continue to explore and learn as much as I can. I hope you enjoyed the recap of my week-long adventure. Feel free to comment below or ask questions! I’m here to help.
Look Forward To Learning More Information About Nelson The Tour Guide In Upcoming Posts!
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