Is Nicaragua as dangerous as the US State Dep't. website claims???

That's about 3 blocks from where I live, walking distance to Zona Hippo, the bar/restaurant area!
There are numerous options in Granada, what's your budget?
In Leon, definitely Lazy Bones!

Henna: Don't worry. Go to Nicaragua; you'll love it. I'm female and travelled solo for 3 weeks in December. Paxeos is a reliable shuttle service. I used Paxeos, also took buses and taxis. I asked lots of questions; ask locals re: prices and/or routes. You will find Nicaraguans and other travellers helpful as well. Enjoy.

Hi, thenicaraguablog. I want a well-located, not-noisy place--preferably something with a bit of local flavor. Prefer private bath though I have done without on many occasions (hey,I'm 51, not 21....). I prefer cheaper rather than more expensive, of course, but can spend more if necessary. For me, over $30 US is getting out of my comfort level, I guess. --Is this reasonable in Nicaragua? Please advise. Thank you.... Also, what about accommodation elsewhere in the country? Is it worth going over to the Caribbean side (I'll be there from the evening of Feb. 9 until the morning of the 28th)? Is the market in Masaya as good as markets elsewhere in Latin America? How about beaches? How do most people get around--by bus? Or plane? I won't rent a car by myself, that much I know.

Thanks....

Thanks, travelbo8. Glad to hear it. I do like blabbing with people in my gringified Spanish; will look forward to that. Bloody US State Dep't. is trying to scare people away (I read their pages on Guate and Mexico, and of course I've done everything they warn against on many occasions, with no problems whatsoever).

Hennagaijin82

The State Department wants to give all possible information about a country. If you read their desciptions of Spain and Italy, you'd be a little nervous going there. Be most aware of the countries that are on the "travel warmings" list as those are likely to be very dangerous. Nicaragua definately requires you to be careful. It mostly comes down to where you go and how you conduct yourself.

Well, Hotel Terrasol is US$35 and very nice, you might get them down to US$30 if you stay for 3 nights or more and pay cash.
Hotel Oasis is popular with backpackers, rooms slighlty less the last I heard.
Corn Islands are lovely, you need a flight from Managua to get there.
There are 2 markets in Masaya, the old market and the 'new market. The old one is for the tourists, the new ne is more like a Central American market, bit rougher round the edges, safe but keep your wallet in your front pocket. They have more stuff and it's cheaper.
The biggest market in Central America is Mercado Oriental in Managua, but I wouldn't recommend it for visitors.
Every city/large town has expresso or UCA buses that are go direct between points, cheap, reliable and safe, though try to avoid travelling after dark, it's common to see taxis etc with lights off on the road.
You should also look at visiting the following:

ESTELI & MIRAFLOR RESERVE
LEON
MATAGALPA & SELVA NEGRA
ISLA DE OMETEPE

HERE are my favorite beaches in Nicaragua.

Edited by: thenicaraguablog

Thanks, nicaraguablog; very useful info. Lovely photos, too. Upload more if you feel so inclined! (I travel for artesania/markets, people/anthropology, scenery, and the chance to talk to people in their language wherever possible.)

Thanks, glad you liked them.
I just got a new camera, been stuck in Managua for a while but I'll be venturing out soon.
You'll have lots of good photo opportunities here that's for sure!

Safe. Absolutely safe. Crimes of opportunity and some mugging if you are a dumbass (or just naive) or a drunk who walks around alone late at night. Heard some pretty scary stories about Managua, but that's about it. Never felt even uneasy except for one late night, my friend and I were walking to get something to eat near the market in Granada, a sort of sketchy guy comes to "help" us find a pulperia. I was sure he was going to pull a knife or something. Nope, he really just wanted to help the gringos. I feel a lot worse off going through the bad parts of my town in the U.S.A.

There was actually a "travel alert" for the entire country when I went, because of a few protests that got out of hand.

I honestly think they should scale back their warnings to more accurately reflect the security situation. There really are some dangerous places in the world, and calling Nicaragua dangerous is a "crying wolf" type situation.

Nicaragua is regularly quoted as being "the safest country in Central America." Anyone know where that comes from, who's stats? Compared to what I hear about El Salvador and Guatemala and what I know if Nicaragua, it definitely seems true. There is also an interesting posting on the NicaLiving site discussing why Nicaragua is safer than Costa Rica, but I can't find it right now.