The 10 best places to visit in Nicaragua

An affable all-rounder, Nicaragua embraces travelers with diverse offerings of volcanic landscapes, colonial architecture, sensational beaches, remote, idyllic islands and pristine forests.

Whether it’s dipping your toes into the crystalline Caribbean or paddling out to the crashing waves of the pounding Pacific, Nicaragua’s beaches always deliver the goods. Plus, the country is a center for outdoor adventures, including surfing down an active volcano, diving into underwater caves and swimming across sea channels between tiny white-sand islands.

This all makes Nicaragua a country not to miss. Here are the top places to visit.

1. Granada

Best for cobblestones and colonial architecture

Granada is a town of immense and palpable magnetism. At the heart of the city’s charms are the picture-perfect cobblestone streets, polychromatic colonial homes and churches, and a lilting air that brings the city’s spirited past into present-day focus. Most trips here begin and end on foot, and simply dawdling from gallery to restaurant to colonial church can take up the better part of a day. From there, it’s off to explore the myriad wild areas, islands, volcanoes and artisan villages nearby.

2. Isla de Ometepe

Best for lush scenery

Lago de Nicaragua’s beloved centerpiece, Isla de Ometepe has it all. Twin volcanoes, lush hillsides cut by walking tracks, archaeological remains, zip lines, monkeys and birdlife, waterfalls, lapping waves at your doorstep, and a laid-back island air that keeps travelers in the now as they explore this once-lost paradise. At the heart of the island’s charms are the cool hostels, camping areas and peaceful traveler scenes. From high-end luxury lodges to groovy-groupie hippie huts, Ometepe is big enough for all kinds of visitors.

3. León 

Best for a blend of art and history

A royal city with revolutionary undercurrents, León both enchants and baffles the legions of backpackers and adventure seekers who gravitate here. Within the city, you’ll find an artsy, slightly edgy vibe originally fueled by the Sandinista revolution and now by the university and a 120-horsepower party scene. Come sunrise, you can spend a good day exploring the cathedral, museums and downtown area, before heading further afield to honey-blond beaches, volcanoes and cowboy towns with some of the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere on Earth.

While there, check out the architecture and childhood home of iconic poet Rubén Darío at the Museo Rubén Darío, as well as the stunning Catedral de León.

4. Cerro Negro

Best for adrenaline junkies

What goes up must come down. But why walk when you can strap on a custom-built volcano board and rip-roar your way down a slope of fine volcanic ash? And one of the best spots on the planet to dig the new adrenaline sport of volcano surfing is atop 700m+ Volcán Cerro Negro in northwestern Nicaragua’s Reserva Natural Pilas-El Hoyo. Tour operators in León will even provide you with cool jumpsuits before you begin your dusty-bottomed descent.

5. Little Corn Island

Best for island vibes

With no cars and no noise, just white-sand beaches and secluded coves mixing with the crystal-clear Caribbean, Little Corn Island is the paramount place to take a break from the big city. There is plenty to keep you occupied during the day, including diving, where you might see hammerhead sharks or float through underground caves, kitesurfing the stiff breeze, or scrambling over jungle-covered headlands, and there’s just enough to do at night. Add some great food to the mix, and it’s no surprise that many find it so hard to leave.

6. Volcán Masaya and Laguna de Apoyo

Best for scenic views

Hovering above the artisan villages of Nicaragua’s Central Plateau, the smoldering Volcán Masaya and its surrounding national park are a highlight not to be missed. This is one of the region’s most active volcanoes, and it’s pretty exciting just to see the sulfurous columns of gas billow toward the sky as you relish the million-dollar views. Gaze into the maw of hell at night, when lava bubbles restlessly in the crater. Nearby, cool off with a dip in gorgeous crater lake Laguna de Apoyo.

7. Reserva Natural Estero Padre Ramos

Best for wildlife spotting on the water

The Reserva Natural Estero Padre Ramos is a vast nature reserve located in the far northwestern corner of Nicaragua. The largest remaining mangrove forest in Central America, the reserve is home to ocelots, alligators and a universe's worth of birds that call the forest home. While this is a wild corner of Nicaragua, boats and kayaks will get you into the spider-webbing mangrove forest, to the beaches where sea turtles lay their eggs and good surf dominates, and into local communities.

8. San Juan del Sur

Best for surfers

Nicaragua sparked into international stardom on the wake of tanned-and-toned surfer dudes and dudettes. And the surfing scene north and south of regional hub San Juan del Sur remains cool, reefed-out, soulful and downright brilliant. The stars of the scene are the long rideable waves that fit the bill for surfers of all abilities, but the relaxed surf camps, beach parties and cool breezes add to the vibe, ensuring a great beach vacation for everybody in your crew (even the boogie boarders).

9. Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor

Best for spotting turtles

Head to Nicaragua’s southern Pacific coast between July and January to witness sea turtles by the thousands come to shore to lay their eggs at Refugio de Vida Silvestre La Flor. There’s a decent beach here, as well, but the highlight is a night tour (generally from nearby San Juan del Sur), where, if you’re lucky, you’ll see a leatherback or olive ridley mama come to shore to lay her eggs at the end of one of nature’s most inspiring and remarkable journeys.

10. Islas Solentiname

Best for magical scenes

The Islas Solentiname are straight out of a fairy tale. You simply must visit in order to experience the magic of this remote jungle-covered archipelago where a community of exceptionally talented artists live and work among the wild animals that are their inspiration. It’s a place where an enlightened priest inspired a village to construct a handsome church alive with the sounds of nature, and shooting stars illuminate the speckled night sky. Even after having been there, you will still find it hard to believe it’s real.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Central America guidebook, published in October 2025, and the Nicaragua guidebook.