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Nicaragua: A new travel frontier
People wanting more from a
vacation than sunshine and beaches is a growing trend that bodes well
for Nicaragua, the Central American country sandwiched between Honduras
and Costa Rica. Late last year, together with five companions, I
participated in a week-long tour of this Spanish-speaking nation beset
during the 1980s by political upheaval and civil war, a period in the
country’s history that‘s a page from the past.
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The banana vendor in the Leon Market
is having a good day.
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Today, Nicaragua is a
vacation frontier that offers travellers an engaging alternative to
“been there done that” destinations.
Nicknamed “the land of lakes and volcanoes, “the country
measures 127,849 sq. km making it comparable in size to New York State.
Biggest of its many lakes is Lake Cocibolca (about the size of Puerto
Rico) where the island of Ometepe and its twin volcanoes make it the
world’s largest volcanic island in a freshwater lake.
Following our arrival in
Managua, the nation’s capital, Ometepe and its volcanoes were the start
point of our travel plan that began with a ferry ride to the island
from the colonial town of Rivas, a community in the southwest corner of
the country. Among tourists who have already been drawn to Nicaragua,
hiking one or both of Ometepe’s volcanic mountains is a big attraction.
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The Imposing Granada Cathedral
with Lake Cocibolca in the background.
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This tropical forested island punctuated by day with the chatter of
parakeets and the holler of howler monkeys at night, is dominated by
its two volcanic peaks, Maderas and Concepcion.
To be
truthful, I was not in top physical condition for serious hiking but
the climbs I undertook were well worth the strain. Maderas is an
extinct volcano whose forested slopes rise to a mountain-top crater
filled with a turquoise-coloured lake. Concepcion, on the other hand,
is an active volcano that last erupted in 1957 and is the tougher of
the two hikes. Together, the two trail climbs embody spectacular
waterfalls, monkey-inhabited forest, rock faces and a variety of
tropical vegetation.
North of Lake Cocibolca, the city of Leon
is also a base for hikers where the Cerro Negro volcano is one of the
most popular destinations in the country for people seeking extreme
sport. This lava mountain--one of many volcano-hiking venues throughout
the country--is entirely without vegetation and is one of the most
active in Central America having last erupted in 1999.
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The crater
regularly emits steam and gases that can offend the senses yet the
views are worth the climb where hikers can see as far north as
Honduras. Another reason for Cerro Negro’s popularity can be credited
to two unique ways of descending: skimming down the mountain‘s slope on
a lava board or stainless steel sled.
While hiking Nicaragua’s
volcanoes can be physically demanding, it is not an activity
exclusively for the young since there were a couple of members in our
group over the age of 50 who completed exhilarating climbs and would
not, in retrospect, have missed the chance to hike one or more of the
country’s “mountains of fire.”
Beyond volcanoes
At the base
of Cerro Negro, the Spanish colonial city of Leon is one of the
country’s three principal centres along with Granada and Managua. It’s
also home to the largest cathedral in Central America. The Spanish
planned two cathedrals in the New World, one large one for Lima, Peru,
and a smaller one for Leon but plans were switched and Leon got the
larger which took 113 years to build before it was completed in 1860.
Beyond its remarkable cathedral, Leon is a city whose narrow streets
are filled with an abundance of museums, murals, churches and cafes.
Considerably more beautiful
than Leon, Granada is known for its spectacular colonial architecture
tinted in bright and colourful shades of yellow.
In fact, it was the
first Spanish settlement in Nicaragua and is presently the most popular
and most developed tourist destination in the country. Located on the
edge of Lake Cocibolca southeast of Managua, and lying in the shadow of
the Mombacho volcano, the heart of town is a pretty central square
where a beautiful cathedral is its centrepiece and several classic
Spanish mansions are now hotels.
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The popular rainforest with Lake Nicaragua
in the background
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One
of the most photogenic cities in the country, this is a picturesque
town where its network of streets is punctuated by parks, ancient
buildings, museums, statuary and markets. The old is balanced by the
new with bars, restaurants, discos, internet cafes and shopping.
Among the high points of our Granada visit was a forest canopy tour on
the slopes of Mombacho. As our group glided through treetops on zip
lines, it was reassuring to know the high wire system was constructed
by Canadians who are experts in the business.
Culture and Infrastructure
The population of Nicaragua is about six million people who trace their
ancestry to a blend of Spanish, Native American, African and various
European ethnicities. In general, Nicaraguans are friendly, outgoing
and love to be photographed. As far as climate is concerned, visitors
need only be reminded this is a tropical country (just a mere 12
degrees north of the equator) where tourists can take their cue from
locals who have the good sense to stay out of direct sunshine between
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. To cool off, nowhere in the country are visitors far
from a cool domestic beer yet the alcohol drink of choice in Nicaragua
is rum which has the undisputed reputation of being the best in Central
America. Nicaragua’s roads, on the other hand, are less
praiseworthy. With tropical rainfall and washouts they can change
overnight, particularly those off the main routes which can deteriorate
to little more than a mule trail.
Overall, this is an
emerging tourist destination that has much more to offer than volcano
climbing and enchanting colonial cities. There is everything from sport
fishing to awesome bird watching, kayaking on inland rivers, cultural
festivals and a host of eco-tourism pursuits. In fact, the country has
so many interesting facets; a week-long tour barely scratches the
surface.
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Granada is a city of lovely archetecture and parks
such as this one in the front of the cathedral.
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For two members of our group this was their second visit to
Nicaragua and when asked what inspired them to return both agreed on a
two-word answer. “It‘s magic."
TRAVEL PLANNER
Info: In the
next few months an official Nicaragua Tourism website is promised in
English but at present the site is entirely in Spanish. In the
meantime, Nicaragua travel information can be obtained by emailing
cit@intur.gob.ni. There are also a number of unofficial websites that
can be accessed by simply Googling “Nicaragua travel.”
Getting
there: American Airlines offers one flight daily from Montreal and
Toronto connecting through Miami to Managua, Nicaragua.
Travel
guide: An excellent travel companion is Moon Handbooks’ Nicaragua
guide, second edition, authored by Randy Woods and Joshua Berman. See
www.moon.com
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