Nicaragua: When to Go

Nicaragua has distinct dry and rainy seasons, the timing of which varies from coast to coast. With the possible exception of the last month of the dry season (usually mid-April to mid-May) when the land is parched and the air full of dust, there really is no bad time to visit. However, the most pleasant time to visit the Pacific or central regions is early in the dry season (December and January), when temperatures are cooler and the foliage is lush.

Most Nicaraguans spend the holy week of Semana Santa (around Easter) at the beach; all available rooms will be sold out weeks or even months in advance.

Weather

Nicaragua has a range of microclimates, and it's worth checking the weather to see where you want to go first. On the Pacific side, invierno (winter), or rainy season, runs May to November, at its rainiest in September and October when sea turtles nest 3000-strong to a beach. Verano (summer), or dry season, is November to April, the best time for hiking, camping and partying, as it coincides with high tourist season (December to March), most pronounced along the Costa Rican border. As verano desiccates to a close, the Pacific forests lose their leaves and lake levels drop revealing sandy lake beaches that you'll put to good use as temperatures soar.

Then there are the mountains, from the islands of cool cloud forests atop each volcano to the monolithic granite peaks of the central highlands, where seasons become blurred in the chilly misty mornings, with temperatures between 12°C (54°F) and 24°C (75°F). On the Atlantic side rainy and dry seasons are almost entirely academic; along the Río San Juan, one of the wettest places on earth, always pack a raincoat.