A country in Central America that has not been explored by a Russian tourist at all. It is the largest of the Central American countries and one of the poorest. But, nevertheless, there is something to see.
Volcanoes
The first thing people go to Nicaragua for are volcanoes. The Masaya volcano, at the foot of which the national park is located, is one of the most active. Here you can book an excursion and walk through the rainforest or climb higher. Mombacho Volcano is a high volcano that is currently closed due to increased seismic activity. You can get to these volcanoes both from the capital, Managua, and from the town of Granada.
Visiting the Sierro Negro volcano, near the city of Leon, you can experience the thrill of rolling down from the top on a board. Such excursions are offered for extreme lovers. Boarding from the volcano is included in many travel guides as a must-have experience in life.
Surfing
Nicaragua's Pacific Coast is one of the most famous surfing spots in Latin America. Here you can find different types of waves, both for beginners and professionals. It also hosts international competitions. You need to start from the town of Juan del Sur, from where shuttles run daily to the nearest beaches. You can also practice on the city beach, but the waves are not the same. In Nicaragua, you can take a few inexpensive surf lessons with an instructor.
Colonial architecture
First of all, this is Granada. There is a city with this name, probably, in any Spanish-speaking country. Nicaraguan Granada is a lovely, welcoming town with colorful one-story houses, tiled roofs and beautiful cathedrals. One of the cathedrals has an observation deck from which you can admire the sunset.
Granada is located on a lake, but it should not be considered as a place for swimming. Travelers stop here for a few days to explore the area, and in the evenings they gather on the main street with many restaurants and performances by street performers.
León, the former capital of Nicaragua and the second most important city in the country, where colonial architecture can also be found. But most go there precisely because of the Sierro Negro volcano, and the city is a good transit point and addition.
An island in the middle of a lake
Lake Nicaragua is a unique natural phenomenon in itself, it is the largest freshwater lake in Latin America. In the middle of it is the island of Ometepe, with two volcanoes, which can be reached by ferry. There is often a storm on the lake, almost like at sea. The life of Ometepe in a village style is calm and measured, although there are quite a lot of tourists from all over the world, most of them stay here for no more than two or three days to climb the volcanoes Concepcion and Maderas, as well as swim in the lagoons.
Capital
The capital, the city of Managua, has a minimum of tourist attractions or at least places for walking, in addition, it is rather unsafe. Therefore, it is hardly worth including it in a travel plan as a separate item.
About the country as a whole
Prices in Nicaragua are noticeably lower than in neighboring Costa Rica, but the standard of living is significantly lower. You cannot call this country completely cheap, the prices in restaurants, especially on the ocean shore, are almost like European ones. In some places on the island of Ometepe, hotels are quite expensive, although there are no tourists at all. The transport network is well developed, the prices for buses between cities are very low. People are different: from friendly to gloomy and contemptuous looking at a white person. Almost no one speaks English.
