Nicaragua Travel Guide

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With a tropical disposition and refreshing authenticity, Nicaragua’s a real charmer. No matter whether you’re standing in Granada, Popoyo, Ometepe, or San Juan del Sur, what you’re sure to experience is a level of hospitality and open-heartedness that will win you over almost instantly. This is a country that smiles back at you, offers you a lift, and extends a handful of mamoncillo to you on the chicken bus. It’s a place that makes you feel part of it just because you’re present. Come for the waves and warmth, in both place and people, but stay for the way this Central American charmer makes you feel. There’s truly no other place like it.

Table of Contents

• Nicaragua Travel Guides by City

• Nicaragua Surf Guide with Several Suggested Surf Camps

• My Personal Nicaragua Travelogue

• Nicaragua Travel Tips & Recommendations

Destination Guides

From Popoyo’s effortlessly laidback atmosphere and bundle of surf breaks to Ometepe’s island magic and volcano views, allow each of these destination guides to inspire your own adventure in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua Surf Guide

For those of you in Nicaragua specifically for the surf, I’ve got you covered with this comprehensive Nicaragua surf guide.

In search of a surf camp in Nicaragua?

BookSurfCamps.com is a great place to start your search and enquire about surf camps in Nicaragua. Here are a few highly-rated options in spots like San Juan del Sur, Popoyo, Leon, and more:

• 8-Day Beginner/Intermediate Co-Working Surf Camp in San Juan del Sur

• 3-Day Beginner/Intermediate Skate & Surf Lesson Package in San Juan del Sur

• 8-Day All-Level Surf Camp in Playa Maderas

• 6-Day Advanced Surf Camp in Puerto Sandino, Leon

• 7-Day Intermediate/Advanced Surf Camp in Popoyo

• 9-Day Surf Tour in Nicaragua (including Popoyo, San Juan del Sur, and activities in Granada)

Sri Lanka Travel Tips & Resources

Entry Requirements

Besides having a valid passport with at least 6 months validity left on it, there is a $10USD fee for foreigners upon entry for the tourist card. This must be paid in cash and grants you up to 90 days in Nicaragua, with the option to extend for a fee by an additional 30 days before it expires. Check your local government’s travel portal for specific entry requirements based on your country of residence.

It’s important to keep in mind that Nicaragua is part of the Central America Border Control Agreement (CA-4), along with Honduras, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. This means that your 90-day, visa-exempt travel starts when you enter one of them and lasts only until the 90 days expire. If you’ll be traveling for longer, you’ll need to apply for an extension or a visa.

Getting Around Nicaragua

Chicken buses, minibuses, taxis, and shared shuttles (like those on Bookaway or 12Go) are the way to go in Nicaragua, if you aren’t planning on renting a car or motorbike. In Managua, there is an app called Ray (Download on Google Play + the Apple App Store) that works like Uber and allows you to pay by credit card. At the moment, it only works in Managua. Each of the city-specific travel guides linked on this page cover exactly how to get to and from each city by way of private and public transport, so check those out for a more detailed step-by-step.

Money

The local currency is the Nicaraguan córdoba (NIO). At the time of writing this (November 2024), $1USD is equivalent to roughly 37 córdobas. ATMs are widely available except in some of the more remote towns, like Popoyo and El Tránsito, and extremely limited on the island of Ometepe. Keep that in mind if you’re heading to any of those places and don’t have access to your own car or motorbike. Credit card is sometimes accepted in the bigger cities, while it’s mostly cash only in the smaller towns.

SIM Cards

If you’re not using an eSIM, like Airalo or Drimsim, you can buy a SIM card when you arrive. The two most popular local carriers are Claro and Tigo (formerly Movistar). I recommend purchasing a card directly at one of their stores, but they’re also available at most post offices, newsstands, and grocery stores throughout the country. Tigo tends to be slightly cheaper, but Claro has better coverage. Expect to pay roughly $5USD for 5GB of data.

Travel Insurance

Don’t forget to cover yourself medically, especially if you’ll be partaking in the more adventurous activities like surfing and hiking while in Nicaragua. I recommend purchasing your travel insurance through Squaremouth or World Nomads. Both have options for including adventure sports in your coverage.

Don’t Forget to Bring

Some of the essential items I wouldn’t travel to Nicaragua without are:

• Light, breathable, conservative clothing that covers your shoulders and knees

• A reusable water bottle, or better yet, a water bottle with built-in filtration (I personally love my LifeStraw Go)

• A plug adapter if your chargers aren’t designed for plug types A and B (same as what’s used in the U.S.)

• Insect repellent (the mosquitos can be bad island-wide)

Ask me Anything about Nicaragua!

Still have questions about traveling Nicaragua? Send me a message at nomapsamber@gmail.com or DM me on Instagram at @nomapsamber.