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Nicaragua is a Central American country which is not very well developed for tourism. However there are lots of sites to discover between the Caribbean Sea in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Nature is wonderful and seems untouched. In the north the mountain range of the Cordilleras Isabella is fascinating. Jungle and old mahogany forest grow along its slopes. Oftentimes they are hidden behind thick clouds. Favored destinations in the northeast are volcanoes and the ancient town León. Here one also finds one of the largest lakes of Nicaragua, the Lago de Managua.
South of the capitol Managua one can discover many small ancient towns as well as archeological excavation places. The area is well developed and all these destinations can be traveled to easily.
The region is formed by the Lago de Nicaragua. The lake is 148 km long and up to 55 km wide. It is draining off in the direction of the Caribbean; the river is called San Juan. It is almost like a legend in Nicaragua. This is not only due to the impressive nature along its banks, but also because ships transport goods on it. During the 19th century the river was the shortest way to travel from the Pacific to the Caribbean region.
After discovering the countryside you might want to relax. Perfect places are the numerous villages along the Pacific coast. The Caribbean coast is a lot less developed for tourism.
Nicaragua’s culinary specialties are Gallapinto (grilled rice with Pinto beans) and Mondongo (tripe soup). Well liked are further cooked bananas and Papas a la Crema (potatoes in a cream sauce).
Some geography:
Nicaragua stretches across an area of 130,000 square kilometers and is therefore the largest country in Central America. It has 5.4 million inhabitants. 85 percent of them are mestizos and white, 10 percent Creoles and 5 percent Indians. Language of the country is Spanish and Creole, a kind of Caribbean English. Indians talk the different tongues of their tribes. The larger majority of the Nicaraguans believe in Catholicism. The inhabitants celebrate their national holiday on September 15th. On that day in 1821 Nicaragua was declared independent.
Black & white:
Due to the civil war one still finds mines off the roads in some parts of the country in Nicaragua’s north. Therefore one should avoid traveling off road. |
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