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The Nicaragua Page

The Ultimate Nicaragua Web Resource

Cathedral Santiago in Managua, Nicaragua
Young Nicaraguan girl
Street art in Nicaragua
Las Isletas (The Islands) near Granada, Nicaragua


www.thenicaraguapage.com


Why Nicaragua? Retirement Buying Property Nicaragua vs. Costa Rica




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Recommended

Footprint Nicaragua Handbook
American expat and Nicaragua resident Richard Leonardi obviously knows and loves Nicaragua. A very detailed, comprehensive and readable book. We also recommend Leonardi's free online article Nicaragua Safety: Is Nicaragua's Negative Image Justified?", a mind-opening article comparing Nicaragua to Costa Rica
Living Abroad in Nicaragua
From the authors of the Moon Handbook for Nicaragua
Living and Investing in the New Nicaragua
American expat and Central America authority Christopher Howard lives in Costa Rica, but has spent considerable time in neighboring Nicaragua and even leads retirement tours there. A valuable book for those considering moving to, or starting a business in, Nicaragua.
TACA
Airline serving Central and South America from U.S. with excellent prices.

Terrapass logo
Balance your travel carbon emissions with TerraPass. Los Angeles to Managua and return is almost one ton of carbon dioxide.







We make every attempt to keep our links up-to-date and we check them weekly with LinkAlarm. If you notice errors or bad links, or have suggestions for listings we might add, please Contact Us

Expatriate Information
for Nicaragua


Official Government Web Sites

Nicaragua - A Country with a Heart
Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism

President of the Republic of Nicaragua
Foreign Ministry of Nicaragua
Nicaraguan Mission to the UN
Consulate General of Nicaragua in U.S.

Location

Nicaragua is located in Central America with Honduras to the north, Costa Rica to the south, the Pacific Ocean on the west and the Caribbean on the east.

Map of Nicaragua
Enlarge

Land

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Its 120,254 sq. km make it slightly smaller than the state of New York. The extensive Atlantic coastal plains rise to mountains in the central interior. The narrow Pacific coastal plain is interrupted by volcanoes. The highest point is 2,438 meters. Nicaragua has 910 kilometers of coastline. Lake Nicaragua is 8,000 sq. km and the second largest lake in Latin America, slightly smaller than Lake Titicaca between Peru and Bolivia. Nicaragua has 58 volcanic formations of which 6 are active volcanoes.

Population

5,128,517 (July 2003 estimate)
Managua (capital city) 1,000,000

Ethnic Groups

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 69%, white 17%, black 9%, Amerindian 5%

Religions

Roman Catholic (85%) and Protestant

U.S. State Dept. International Religious Freedom Report

Languages

The official language is Spanish. The Miskito Indians on the Atlantic coast speak their own language and English.

Languages of Nicaragua

English/Spanish - Spanish/English Translation

Time Zone

Same as U.S. Central Standard Time (-6 GMT). There is no daylight savings time.

Nicaragua local time/sunrise/sunset

Telephone Codes

Country Code - 505

All International Phone Codes

Internet Country Code

.ni

Internet Connection

Cybercafes
World Wide Phone Guide
Using a modem practically anywhere

Climate

The zone between the Nicaragua and Managua lakes and the Pacific ocean is dry and has relatively little precipitation. Temperatures range between 27ºC and 32ºC (81ºF and 90ºF) during the rainy season—locally called "invierno" (winter)—and between 30ºC and 35ºC (86ºF and 95ºF) during the dry season—called "verano" (summer). Verano season runs approximately from November to April and Invierno from May to October.

In the center of the country, the mountain elevations cause a cooler climate which becomes more humid eastwards. From the center towards the Caribbean coast the climate is humid, tropical and high in precipitation, which results in a flourishing tropical rainforest.

Current Temperatures

Granada
Leon
Managua

Customs/Visas

Entry visas are not required for most countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and most European and South American countries You must buy a Tourist Card (US $5.00) on arrival and have a passport valid for a period at least six months (not necessary for US citizens) after entering the country. An airport tax of $US 32.00 is required when departing.

Foreign Entry Requirements

Currency

The unit of currency is the córdoba oro—the gold cordoba (NIO). Córdoba C$1=100 Centavos = 10 Reales. The currency is sometimes referred to as Pesos rather than Córdobas.

The IGV (Value Added Tax) of 15% is the only tax that tourists must pay. Taxi drivers do not get tips beside the normal charge. Restaurant tips are between 10% and 15%. US$0.50 per moved piece of luggage is fine in hotels.

Banknotes

International Currency Conversion

Safety

Nicaragua Safety: Is Nicaragua's Negative Image Justified?"

Consular Information Sheet for Nicaragua

Health/Water

MDTravelHealth.com
Valuable, detailed information.

Traveler's Health Information
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
Nicaragua Health Statistics (WHO)

Electricity

The current is 110 Volts, 60 Hz. Visitors from Europe and some other countries will need both a converter and an adapter with two parallel flat pins (as is used in North America) for any appliances they plan to bring.

National Anthem

"Salve a ti, Nicaragua" (Hail to You, Nicaragua), music by Luis Abraham Delgadillo, was adopted as the national anthem in 1918. In 1939 new words were written by Salomón Ibarra Mayorga. Listen

National Holidays

Public Holidays

National Drink

Rum
Ron Plata and Flor de Caña

Pinol
Pinol (or Pinolillo) is a traditional drink made with powdered roast corn mixed with water, spices, and often cocoa.

Food Specialties

Fruit
Fruits are abundant throughout Nicaragua, and include mangoes, bananas, passion fruit, papaya, grapefruit, oranges and guavayas.

Gallo Pinto (Spotted Rooster)
Gallo Pinto is a very basic dish of beans, rice and onions, served throughout the day. Can also include meat or eggs.

Foods of the Americas

Coffee

A New Nicaragua
Annual Coffee Supply Schedule
Asociación Aldea Global Jinotega
Coffee Crisis
Coffee, the Deadly Embrace
Coffees of Nicaragua
JavaVentures
Tours for coffee professionals
Nicaragua Coffee Campaign
Nicaraguan Coffee Industry
Transfair USA

Cafe Premio
Esperanza Coffee
Selva Negra Coffee Estate
  A Sustainable Vacation at Selva Negra
  Selva Negra Visit

Tourist Attractions

Carnaval Nicaragua
Destinations
Granada
Museums and Parks
Tourism Destinations

Activities

picture of Nicaraguan Guardabarranco
Guardabarranco


Birding
Audubon Nicaragua Contact Info
Aves Nicaragua
Birding in Nicaragua
Birdingpal
Birds of Nicaragua (photos)
Nicaragua Birding Report

Diving/Snorkeling
Dive Little Corn

Ecotouring
Masaya Volcano National Park
Nicaraguan Ecotourism
National Parks and Protected Areas

Fishing
San Carlos Sport Fishing
Super Fly Sport Fishing
Surfari Charters


Geocaching

Geocaches in Nicaragua

Surfing
NicaSurf
Popoyo Surf Camp
Surfari Charters
Wavehunters







 
Web www.BoomersAbroad.com


View Full Index

Regional Information

Nicaragua is divided into 15 departments (provinces) and two self-governing regions (autonomous communities). Departments, with capitals in parentheses, are: Boaco (Boaco), Carazo (San Marcos), Chinandega (Corinto), Chontales (Juigalpa), Estelí (Ocotal), Granada (Granada, founded 1524), Jinotega (Somoto), León (León, founded 1522), Madriz (Madriz), Managua (Managua, DN; also National Capital), Masaya (Masaya), Matagalpa (Matagalpa), Nueva Segovia (Nueva Segovia), Rivas (Rivas), Rio San Juan (San Carlos), Comunidad Autónoma del Atlántico Norte (Puerto Cabezas), Comunidad Autónoma del Atlántico Sur (Bluefields).

Tourist Areas

Big Corn Island
Bluefields
Catarina
Finca Esperanza Verde
Granada
Granada Nicaragua.net
Laguna de Apoyo - Norome Resort
Little Corn Island - Casa Iguana
Río San Juan
San Juan del Sur
  Casa Oro Youth Hostel
Vincent Cay

Profiles and Guides

BBC Country Profile
BBC Timeline
From 1502 to present
British Govt. Nicaragua Country Profile
Canadian Govt. Nicaragua Cultural Insights
Canadian Govt. Nicaragua Travel Report
CIA Factbook
Library of Congress
Lonely Planet Guide
NationMaster
Comparison with other countries
U.S. Department of State Post Report
Wikipedia

Montelimar Beach in Nicaragua
Montelimar Beach


General Guides/Interesting Websites

American Nicaraguan School
Augusto "César" Sandino
Bearded Monkey
Bluefields Pulse
"Uniting The Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua at Home and Abroad"
Central America
Good directory of links, particularly for travel within Nicaragua
El Arbol
Dutch foundation creating employment for women in sustainable industries
El Porvenir
Sustainable development projects in Nicaraguan villages
Escape Artist
  Articles
  Resources
FindIt Granada
Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN)
Official site of the Sandinistas
Go to Nicaragua
Website of the authors of Moon Handbooks on Nicaragua
Granada, Nicaragua
Its Fall and Rise
History of Nicaragua
History Timeline
International Living
A very commercial site with a variety of information
  IL "Postcards"
Jinotepe
La Nacion Moskitia en Internet
La Suerte/Ometepe Biological Field Stations
Lahar on Casita Volcano
The Inevitability of a Natural Disaster
Landmines in Nicaragua
Library of Congress
Living Nicaragua's Dubious Distinction
National Catholic Reporter
Managua, Big Corn and Little Corn Islands
Personal account
Manfut.org
A staggeringly comprehensive site, mainly in Spanish but with lots of photographs
Nicamigo
Friendly site from somone who knows Nicaragua well
NicaNet
Supporting the people of Nicaragua
Nicaragua Network
Working for social justice
Nicaragua Photographer
Richard Leonardi - U.S.-born writer/photographer based in Managua
Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign
Tours from U.K. to Nicaragua, bookstore and free trade shop
Nicaragua Volcanoes
  Map
  Concepcion Photos
  Cerro Negro Photos
Nicaraguan Cultural Alliance
Purchase Nicaragua Art
Nicaraguan Sign Language
Nicatour
Good information and photographs
Ometepe Petroglyph Project
Organic Honey
Personalizing Population
United Nations Population Fund
Rubén Darío, Tribute to
Nicaragua's greatest poet
Sandinista
Wikipedia
Secret Cable
U.S. Ambassador reports on meeting with Samoza before resignation
Secret Presidential Finding
Ronald Reagan authorizes CIA's Contra war against Nicaragua
Sí a la Vida
Nicaragua Street Kid Project
Siuna Foundation
Medical aid to Nicaraguans
Steamboats of Nicaragua
Top Ten Nicaragua Adventures
Update Nicaragua
Excellent monthly essays - Highly recommended
Vianica
Excellent, comprehensive guide to the entire country
Viva Nicaragua!
Outside Magazine article
Women's Health in Nicaragua

Canals
Dry Canal
  An "Ecocanal" Across Nicaragua
  Nicaraguan Transportation Corridor
Nicaragua Canal

Books

Country Under My Skin, The
A Memoir of Love and War
Death of Ben Linder, The
The Story of a Northamerican in Sandinista Nicaragua
Driving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America
Footprint Nicaragua Handbook
By Managua writer/photographer Richard Leonardi
If This Soil Could Stop Bleeding
Nicaragua During and After the Contra War
In Focus Nicaragua
A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture
Invisible Hunters, The
A Legend from the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua
Jaguar Smile, The
A Nicaraguan Journey by Salman Rushdie
Life is Hard
Machismo, Danger and the Intimacy of Power in Nicaragua
Living Abroad in Nicaragua
From Moon books
Living and Investing in the New Nicaragua
Living Like the Saints
A Novel of Nicaragua
Lonely Planet Central America on a Shoestring
Moon Handbooks Nicaragua
Murals of Revolutionary Nicaragua, The
1979-1992
My Car in Managua
Nicaragua, 4th Edition
Poets of Nicaragua
A Bilingual Anthology 1918-1979
Resistance and Contradiction
Miskitu Indians and the Nicaraguan State
Rise and Fall of the Nicaraguan Revolution, The
Rough Guide to Central America, The
Sandinista
Carlos Fonseca and the Nicaraguan Revolution
Sandino Affair, The
Sandino's Daughters Revisited
Feminism in Nicaragua
Savage Shore
Life Life and Death with Nicaragua's Last Shark Hunters
Sharks of Lake Nicaragua, The
True Tales of Adventure, Travel and Fishing
To Die in This Way
Nicaraguan Indians and the Myth of the Mestizaje

Language Study

Spanish Schools in Nicaragua
Good list from Transitions Abroad
Ave Nicaragüita
Granada
Casa Xalteva
Granada
Nicaragua Spanish Schools
León, Granada, San Juan del Sur
Viva! Spanish
Managua
Latin American Spanish Phrase Book

Flags

Flagline.com
Flags, pins, patches, key rings and more

Videos

Deadly Embrace

Music CDs

Marimba - Music from Nicaragua
Nicaragua Presente! Music from Nicaragua Libre

Maps

View Online

Central Area of Country
Country
Country
Managua (with hotels)
National Parks
Political
Relief
Shaded Relief
Tourist Map of Managua
Free downloadable PDF
Tourist Map of Nicaragua
Free downloadable PDF
USGS
Zoomable

Webcams

None known

Photographs

Christoph Grandt
Ed Manfutt
Nicaragua Postcards
Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism
Personalizing Population
Turquoise Net
Volcanes.com
Volcanoes

Auctions

Nicaraguan Items on eBay

Internet Forums

Casa Ben Linder Community
For the English-speaking community in Managua
NicaLiving.com
Moving to, and living in, Nicaragua. Very useful.
Nicaragua Living
Open to all to exchange any information about Nicaragua
Soc.culture.nicaragua
Usenet
The Real Nicaragua
The speakeasy of all matters Nicaraguan


Magellan's Travel Supplies
Buy Travel Gear!

Getting There

Air

Find Great Prices on Airfares at QIXO


Airlines Flying to Managua

Aerocaribbean
American Airlines
Continental
Copa
Iberia
TACA

Domestic Airlines

Atlantic Airlines


Airports

Bluefields Airport
Corn Island Airport
Managua International Airport
  Airport FAQ
Puerto Cabezas Airport

All airports in Nicaragua

Agencies specializing in low cost air travel to Latin America

Americas Travel
Me Again Travel

Boat

Noonsite
A superb one-stop site for cruising sailors
Ports of Nicaragua

Car

Driving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America (book)

Bus

Ticabus
Service throughout Central America, from Panama to the southern tip of Mexico
Transnica
Service in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador



Tour Companies

Elderhostel Tours
MomboTour
  Canopy Tour
  Kayak Tour
Nicarao Lake Tours
Quetzaltrekkers
Non-profit offering guided hikes with funds going to schools for street kids
Sun Tours
Tours Nicaragua

Lodging

Book a Hotel in Nicaragua

El Club (Granada)
Hostels.com
Hostels Nicaragua
Lodging

Current News

Google
Topix.net
Washington Post
Yahoo
Yahoo News Photos

Newspapers

La Prensa
Conservative
El Nuevo Diario
Pro-Sandinista

Web Only

Bolsa de Noticias
Confidencial - Weekly information and political analysis
Visión Sandinista -Nicaragua's political weekly magazine

Magazines

Between the Waves
Nicaragua's excellent visitor/expat magazine - content not online

Television

Canal 6 - state-owned
Nicavision Canal 12
Televicentro Canal 2 - commercial

Cable

Estesa

Radio

Radio Corporacion - 540 AM, 97.5 FM
Radio Mundial
Radio Nicaragua - 620 AM, 88.7 FM
Radio Nuevo Ya - AM 600
Radio Sandino
Radio Pirata 99.9

Mail/Shipping

TransExpress
Mail forwarding and courier service between U.S., Central and South America

Embassies

Canadian Embassy
U.S. Embassy
Other Embassies

Business

Doing Business in Nicaragua
A World Bank report on the ease of doing business
Grupo Mosaico
Investing in Nicaragua - Law 306
ProNicaragua
U.S. Commercial Service

Expatriates

Articles

Real Post Reports
Unofficial reports from diplomats and spouses

Intentional Communities

None known.

Retirement


Living Abroad in Nicaragua
From Moon books
Living in Nicaragua
More Americans Retire to Central America
National Public Radio segment on retiring in Nicaragua
U.S. Pensioners Pick Nicaragua for Retirement
U.S. Seniors Go South - Way South
Why Granada?
Why Nicaragua? (Discovernica.com)
Why Nicaragua? (Nicaraguaparadise.com)

Buying Property

Buying Property in Nicaragua (Metro-nica.com)
Buying Property in Nicaragua (U.S. Embassy)

Real Estate Firms

Beachfront Realty
Coldwell Banker Nicaragua
Jalapeño Realty
Laguna SA
Metro-Nica
Nicaragua Land
Nicaragua Properties
Nicaragua Real Estate
Nicaragua Realty
Pacific Brisas
Paradise
Rancho Santana
Sniders
Territorio
Tierra Nica
Tropical Islands
Tropical Real Estate
Viviun




"Boomers Abroad" and "The Nicaragua Page" websites
and original content
copyright © 2004,2006 Mick Winter
Photos: Girl, lake copyright ©1998-2003 Christoph Grandt, Others: Intur