Image by Jef_M / Getty Images

Nicaragua

An affable all-rounder, Nicaragua embraces travelers with diverse offerings of volcanic landscapes, historic towns, sensational beaches, remote, idyllic islands, wave-battered Pacific beaches and pristine forests.

Beaches

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. The big barrels of the Pacific coast are revered in surfing circles while the clear waters of the Corn Islands are superb for snorkeling. More sedentary beach bums can choose between accessible slices of sand lined with fine restaurants and happening bars, and natural affairs backed by a wall of rainforest. Even the best beaches in the country are refreshingly free of development, so you can experience them just as nature intended.

Outdoor Adventures

Looking for the ultimate rush? Nicaragua's diverse geography, intense energy and anything-goes attitude is perfect for exhilarating outdoor adventures. Get ready to check off lots of new experiences from your list including surfing down an active volcano, diving into underwater caves, canoeing through alligator-infested wetlands, swimming across sea channels between tiny white-sand islands and landing a 200-lb tarpon. Nicaragua's great outdoors are relatively untouched – at many key attractions, there are no signs and few crowds – making this so-called "land of lakes and volcanoes" a fantastic place for an independent adventure.

Colonial Architecture

Nicaragua's colonial architecture comes in two distinct flavors. The elegant streetscapes of Granada, Nicaragua's best-preserved colonial town, have been entrancing travelers for centuries with their architectural grace. The town boasts a meticulously restored cathedral, well-groomed plaza and perfectly maintained mansions that shelter lush internal courtyards. Working-class León offers a different colonial experience where crumbling 300-year-old houses and churches are interspersed with revolutionary murals, and architectural masterpieces house corner stores. It's a vibrant city that displays its pride in its heritage without feeling like a museum.

Getting Off the Beaten Track

Few destinations have such beauty as Nicaragua, yet remain preserved. Before you know it, you've dropped off the tourist trail and into a world of majestic mountains, cooperative farms, wetlands thronged with wildlife and empty jungle-clad beaches. Rent a 4WD vehicle, if you're up for it – it's the best way to access some of the less-traveled corners of the country, or hop abroad an east-coast-bound boat – and forge onward to visit remote indigenous communities, overgrown pre-Columbian ruins and untouched rainforests.

Explore Nicaragua

0

Latest Stories from Nicaragua

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Nicaragua.

  • Volcano

    Parque Nacional Volcán Masaya

    Described by the Spaniards as the gates of hell, the craters that comprise Volcán Masaya National Park are the most easily accessible active volcanoes in…

  • National Park

    Monumento Nacional Cañon de Somoto

    The Coco (or Wangki), Central America’s longest river, runs all the way to the Caribbean, but its first impression may be its most spectacular. Gushing…

  • Nature Reserve

    Reserva Natural Volcán Mombacho

    It’s been a few decades since this 1345m volcano, the defining feature of the Granada skyline, has acted up, but it is still most certainly active and…

  • Nature Reserve

    Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado

    This 20km-long, sandy barrier island (in some places only 300m wide) has swimming holes and lots of wildlife, including hundreds of migrating bird species…

  • Church

    Convento y Museo San Francisco

    One of the oldest churches in Central America, Convento San Francisco boasts a robin's egg–blue birthday-cake facade and houses both an important convent…

  • Archaeological Site

    Museo Arqueológico Huellas de Acahualinca

    Discovered by miners in 1874, these fossilized tracks record the passage of perhaps 10 people – men, women and children – as well as birds, raccoons, deer…

  • Volcano

    Volcán Maderas

    Climbing this 1394m volcano is challenging but worthwhile. Guides are required for the seven- to eight-hour round-trip trek (with four to five hours of…

  • Volcano

    Volcán Concepción

    This massive (and active) volcano is an Ometepe landmark. The seven- to 10-hour hike up loose volcanic stone to the summit of this looming peak can be…

  • Museum

    Museo de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián

    Probably the finest museum of contemporary art in all of Central America, the Ortiz-Gurdián Collection has spilled over from its original home in Casa Don…

  • Museum

    Museos El Ceibo

    The excellent Museo Numismástico (Money Museum) documents the troubled history of the Nicaraguan economy through its coins and banknotes. Across the road,…

  • Distillery

    Flor de Caña

    Flor de Caña rum is among the world's finest and it has been produced in Chichigalpa since the distillery's founding in 1890. Visitors are initiated into…

  • Church

    Iglesia de la Recolección

    Three blocks north of the cathedral, the 1786 Iglesia de la Recolección is considered the city’s most beautiful church, a Mexican-style baroque confection…

  • Church

    Nuestra Señora de Solentiname

    Mancarrón's greatest human-made gift is Nuestra Señora de Solentiname, where populist priest Ernesto Cardenal ran a rather enlightened parish. Constructed…

  • Museum

    Museo Histórico de la Revolución

    León is the heart and soul of liberal Nicaragua. Stop into this museum for an overview of the Nicaraguan revolutionaries who stood up against the Somoza…

  • Cathedral

    Antigua Catedral

    The hollow shell of Managua’s Old Cathedral remains Managua’s most poignant metaphor, shattered by the 1972 earthquake – and slowly undergoing restoration…

  • Beach

    Long Bay

    This stunner of a beach arcs from a pile-up of local fishing pangas and lobster traps to a wild, jungle-covered headland at its far end. If you’re looking…

  • Museum

    Museo Enrique B. Mántica

    Anyone with even a passing interest in archaeology should stop in here, one of the finest museums in the country. The beautifully displayed collection…

  • Museum

    Museo Auka Tangki

    Don’t miss Dr Dionisio Melgara Brown’s museum, a 10-minute walk along dirt roads curving away from the river. Brown, a retired teacher, built this museum…

  • Christian Site

    Cerro La Cruz

    A steep yet worthwhile hour’s hike from the cemetery and embedded in a boulder-crusted ridge is the town cross, originally placed here in 1703 by…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Nicaragua.

Featured videos

  • Discover volcano boarding

  • Enjoy the view: Nicaragua

  • Introducing Nicaragua