Nicaragua was the third of five countries I visited during my Central America backpacking trip, I trip I'd been manifesting since last summer.
I quit my job last July and decided to take what I coined an "adult gap year", given I was taking it aged 28, instead of the typical gap year age of 18. I went back and forth for months on exactly when I would go, which countries I would visit, for how long I wanted to travel, with whom I wanted to go - if anyone... and then this trip materialized and I can hardly begin to express my excitement levels for the stories itching to be told and the memories begging to be documented.
My Central America trip would turn out to cover five countries in five weeks; the first three (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua) with my partner Tobi and the last two (Guatemala, Belize) with Ina, one of my friends from Salzburg.
While our trip was planned in advance, we ended up really not liking Costa Rica and headed towards Nicaragua five days earlier than planned. We were so happy with this decision as we truly ended up loving Nicaragua and are so glad we had more time to explore the country. Here is my complete guide to Nicaragua:
Currency
Nicaragua uses the Córdoba; the US dollar is also readily accepted across the country. When we visited Nicaragua, 10 Córdoba was equal to roughly €0.24, so it was pretty easy to quickly convert in our heads.
We paid for some accommodations in advance and some meals at larger restaurants with card but the overwhelming majority of things were all cash only; shuttles, meals, tours, activities, shopping... We found ATMs relatively easy to find in the cities of León and Granada but there were a few places where there were no ATMs and we had to make sure we had money in advance, such as at the Laguna de Apoyo.
Visas
I traveled to Nicaragua on my Canadian passport so that I would not need to get an ESTA for my layovers in New York each way. Canadians do not need a visa to enter Panama and can stay for up to 90 days visa-free. My partner Tobi has a German (EU) passport and he also did not need a visa and could stay up to 90 days visa-free.
I use Passport Index before every international trip to find out if I need a visa for a country and, as a multi-passport holder, which of my passports is the best to use to enter a specific country.
There was a USD $8 exit fee for Costa Rica and lots of forms and another USD $14 to enter Nicaragua; we received a piece of paper as a sort of "tourist card" to keep in our passports to prove we entered the country correctly.
Land border crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua
Language
The official language of Nicaragua is Spanish and you should absolutely have a basic grasp of the language not only to be able to do basic things such as order a coffee, buy bus tickets and ask for directions, but also as a sign of respect. Having said that, especially in big cities and in all "toursity" spots, you'll find people who speak English and can assist you.
Get Around
We traveled through Nicaragua by private shuttles, each of which we booked at our accommodation the night before (except for our hitch-hiking adventure from the border!). We didn't use public buses at all based on advice we had been given by other travelers, but please do your own reasearch here and go with what you feel comfortable with! I will go into detail below.
You can also choose to travel through Nicaragua with your own car. I don't have any experience with driving or parking in Nicaragua so please do your own research here.
Safety
Central America can have, for some, a perception of being an unsafe part of the world to travel, particularly for young white women. However, we loved Nicaragua and found it so safe - often times more than many European cities we have visited, so long as you use the same common sense you would use elsewhere in the world.
Arrive: We traveled to Laguna de Apoyo from the border with Costa Rica. The closest city to Laguna de Apoyo is Granada and will be your starting point to reach the lake. The closest airport is in Managua, the Nicaraguan capital. You can take the bus, a shuttle or a taxi to Granada and then on to the lake.
Get around: Laguna de Apoyo is very much a destination and we only left our hostel grounds in the evenings to walk a few minutes next door to another hostel to join in a trivia night and for dinner. A visit to Laguna de Apoyo is all about relaxing, chilling out, swimming and enjoying some down time!
Stay: There are a number of lakeside hostels and hotels dotted around Laguna de Apoyo. Overall, we found the lake to be extremely peaceful and not at all overrun with busy toursity resorts. We stayed two nights at the Coco Bay Hostel. We loved the location, facilities and grounds with private lake access but found the dorm rooms quite stuffy (so we moved into a private room with our own bathroom and lake view) and the overall hostel was not very social. There were a few activities we could join in at the Paradiso Hostel next door such as trivia.
Eat: Given that Laguna de Apoyo is a bit isolated, there aren't many options for eating. We ate all our meals either at our hostel, Coco Bay, or next door at Paradiso. Because the food options are limited, we also found them to be relatively expensive.
Do: The Laguna de Apoyo has been a Nicaraguan nature reserve since 1991 and is protected from certain developments and the use of motors on the lake, making it a very peaceful, serene place to visit. The lake is a volcanic lake in the caldera of an extinct volcano. Find a nice comfy beach chair or hammock to read a book or snooze in the sunshine. Get in the lovely, clear, warm lake water for a swim or borrow a kayak to explore Laguna de Apoyo further. Spot monkeys in the trees above your head.
→ For full details on everything mentioned above, check out my complete guide to Laguna de Apoyo!
Arrive: We traveled to León by private shuttle from Laguna de Apoyo, booked through our accommodation the night before.
Get around: León is a compact, beautiful city and very easily explorable on foot. We wandered through the colourful streets, felt the hot sun on our skin and tried to photograph as many street corners as we could. We joined a walking tour of León with a brilliant local who showed us all around the best highlights of town in two hours and shared plenty of history, tips and cultural insights.
Eat: For breakfast both mornings, we went to the wonderful Mañana Mañana Café, a bright little spot right next to the cathedral serving up a big array of delicious, affordable breakfasts. I don't have any photos of it, but we both agree we had the best quesadillas ever at El Bodegón. And, while you're in Nicaragua, you absolutely must get a soda in a plastic bag! It's super common across Central America so that the glass bottles can be reused.
Do: Wander through the colourful streets. Visit the Plaza Parque Central de León. See the red walls of Iglesia El Calvario. Visit the Cathedral of León and climb the roof. Catch a sunset.
→ For full details on everything mentioned above, check out my complete guide to León!
Colourful streets
Iglesia El Calvario
Cathedral of León
A soda bag in Plaza Parque Central de León
Arrive: We arrived in Granada by private shuttle from León which we booked through our accommodation the night before.
Get around: Granada is a compact, beautiful city and very easily explorable on foot. We wandered through the colourful streets, felt the hot sun on our skin and tried to photograph as many street corners as we could. We joined a walking tour of Granada booked through our hostel and explored some of the prettiest churches, streets and buildings of the city.
Eat: Granada is oft-considered Nicaragua's best foodie scene with some incredible, world-class restaurants in the city, including a number that come highly recommend by international food critics. We had most of our meals at The Garden Cafe, a farm-to-table built into a restored colonial home, with locally-sourced ingredients creating a mouthwatering menu. You can pick up refreshing drinks and sweet treats at Casa del Café. I recommend exploring the Mercado en Granada with amazing street food, fresh fruit and vegetables and pretty much anything else you can think of. Grab dinner at pita pita which serves up delicious Mediterranean cuisine.
Do: Wander the colourful streets. Visit the flowers of Parque Xalteva. Spot the orange walls of Iglesia Xalteva. Admire the Palacio De La Cultura. Spot the bright yellow Catedral Inmaculada Concepción de María. Catch golden hour at Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. See Lake Nicaragua. Catch a sunset over town. Climb the Merced Clock Tower for sunset.
→ For full details on everything mentioned above, check out my complete guide to Granada!
Streets of Granada
Igelsia Xalteva
Sunset from Merced Clock Tower
Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
I quit my job last July and decided to take what I coined an "adult gap year", given I was taking it aged 28, instead of the typical gap year age of 18. I went back and forth for months on exactly when I would go, which countries I would visit, for how long I wanted to travel, with whom I wanted to go - if anyone...
My Central America trip would turn out to cover five countries in five weeks; click the photos below for all my guides!
Panama
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Belize
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
