Northern Highlands
Surrounded by ethereal cloud forest, La Bujona is a wide wall of water that crashes over the rock face in various streams. It feels far from civilization…
Must-see attractions in Nicaragua
San Juan Del Sur
There's a spectacular petroglyph not far from town, depicting an enormous and elaborate hunting scene carved perhaps 1500 years ago. To find it, walk…
Nicaragua
This crescent-shaped islet off the north coast of Isla Zapatera has perhaps the most impressive expanse of petroglyphs carved into a 95m-by-25m expanse of…
Granada
Used between 1876 and 1922, this beautiful cemetery on Granada's outskirts has lots of picturesque mausoleums and tombs, including those of six Nicaraguan…
Northern Highlands
Both coffee enthusiasts and nature lovers will be enamored with this fantastic private reserve with comfortable cabañas (dorm/room per person including…
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
The highest concentration of craft workshops on the islands are just inland from the dock in Comunidad El Mancarrón (also called El Refugio). Feel free to…
National Assembly Pedestrian Walk
Managua
East of the National Assembly along Av Central is a pedestrian walk with open-air exhibits on Nicaragua's history, featuring everything from historic…
León & Northwestern Nicaragua
This series of hot springs and mudholes – likely connected to the Telica volcano and sometimes referred to as 'mud fields,' – is a desolate, sulfur…
Northern Highlands
In Tisey’s lower elevations, just 5km from Estelí, is the inspiring Salto Estanzuela, a gushing 36m waterfall that careens over a bromeliad-studded cliff…
Masaya & Los Pueblos Blancos
From the village of Diriá, a road leads up to the Mirador el Boquete, a peaceful viewpoint overlooking Laguna de Apoyo, without the crowds that the…
The Río San Juan & Islas Solentiname
There's not much left of the town's fortress, which dates from 1724, but it enjoys some impressive Lake Nicaragua and Río San Juan views from several…
Northern Highlands
The jewel of Ciudad Antigua is the sensational Santuario de los Milagros, with its gorgeous brick arches and enormous wooden doors. Check out the Christ…
León
Home to León’s patron saint, la Virgen de la Merced, this is considered the city’s second-most-important church. After Volcán Momotombo erupted and forced…
Isla de Ometepe
Just outside the town of Esquipulas, this well-signed sand spit stretches out into the lake for more than 1km at the height of the dry season, when lake…
Managua
This park is a prime spot for observing local life. It really comes alive on weekends and in the evenings, when it seems like all of Managua's families…
Little Corn Island
One of the best places to see hammerhead sharks in the Caribbean, this excellent intermediate dive site off the eastern side of Little Corn is a long…
Masaya & Los Pueblos Blancos
Take a dip in the pools beneath spectacular waterfalls at this lovely nature reserve, then explore the short hiking trails that traverse the 154-hectare…
Managua
This gallery is the workshop of former Catholic priest, politician, poet, artist and sculptor Ernesto Cardenal, who founded the primitivist art community…
Corn Islands
The most popular beach on Great Corn, Southwest Bay has calmer, more sheltered water than at most other beaches on the island, though the area is more…
Caribbean Coast
Home to an abandoned hotel, this lovely round island has probably the best swimming in the archipelago, with pure white sand beaches sloping down to deep…
Little Corn Island
The island's most popular beach, Otto boasts multicolored waters perfect for swimming and a fun young crowd. Here you'll find the island's fanciest…
León
A hodgepodge of neoclassical and baroque styles, the richly hued El Calvario dates from the 18th century. It's notable, among other attributes, for the…
Northern Highlands
A small layered waterfall feeds this lovely, round swimming hole enclosed by rock walls. The water flows from a local spring, so it's clean, and unlike…
Caribbean Coast
This large concrete church is Bluefield's most iconic building, constructed to the exact specifications of the 1849 wooden original, which was destroyed…
Isla de Ometepe
Close to Altagracia, this island, basically a plantain finca (farm) gone feral, is rarely visited despite being a fantastic place for birdwatching. If you…
León & Northwestern Nicaragua
Chinandega has some seriously striking churches, including the 1878 Iglesia Guadalupe, which despite the radiant – and rather grandiose – colonial-style…
Granada
This museum displays a private collection of ceramics dating from at least 2000 BC to the present. Hundreds of beautifully crafted pieces were chosen with…
Little Corn Island
A long stretch of white sand fronted by brilliant turquoise waters. Cocal has lost a lot of its mass through erosion but is still a fine place for a…
Managua
Acsending Loma de Tiscapa from Crowne Plaza, you'll pass Monumento Roosevelt, constructed in 1939 and offering lovely lake views over the Laguna de…
Granada
This gorgeous 1918 Gothic church with white-and-blue trim is worth a look for its interior – arguably the most beautiful of all of Granada's churches –…
León
A homage to León’s more recent history is found at the Galería de Héroes y Mártires, run by mothers of FSLN veterans and fallen heroes, with murals,…
Granada
The dilapidated but attractive colonial church that houses La Virgen de la Asunción was almost completely rebuilt in the 1890s after suffering serious…
Southwestern Nicaragua
This wide stretch of white sand is hemmed in by headlands at both ends and the water is calm and good for swimming. There's a restaurant and several good…
Northern Highlands
This lookout point near Coyolito is perched at 1100m in the dry zone and offers fine views down the valley.
Little Corn Island
Really just the southern extension of Cocal Beach, Iguana boasts a solid stretch of sand as it is protected by the headland.
Arboretum Nacional Juan Batista Salas
Managua
These modest gardens, inconveniently located halfway between Barrio Bolonia and the Plaza Monumental on Av Bolívar (well, it’s convenient if you’re making…
Antigua Estación del Ferrocarril
Granada
Nine long blocks north of town along Calle Atravesada you’ll find Parque Sandino, next to the old train station, now a technical vocational school. It was…
Managua
On the lake side of Plaza de la Revolución, this monument was refurbished after the original 1933 statue fell into graffitied disrepair. A group of…
Granada
Head to the overflowing and lively Mercado Municipal, a neoclassical building constructed in 1892, for a chance to observe locals haggling over fresh…
