So far, I had visited South America many times but the other significant part of Latin America was still unknown to me. Central America had been on my radar for a while and now, finally, time had come to check it out. If I had to pick one country that represents most what Central America has to offer, it’s Nicaragua. With colonial cities, a variety of volcanoes, beaches, wildlife and a rich history and a lack of mass tourism, it sounded like the perfect destination to get a feel of this part of the world.
Entry into Nicaragua turned out to be a rough start
Let’s start at the absolute beginning. I didn’t enter the country by plane in the capital city of Managua but by road from Costa Rica. There are two border crossings and I chose the one less travelled, the one from los Chiles in Costa Rica to San Carlos in Nicaragua. When I left the bus near the border in los Chiles, everyone walked straight into a forest and so did I. After all, everyone was there for one reason and that was to cross the border into Nicaragua. My shoes and pants had been cleaned the day before and were completely ruined after a few minutes. The forest was muddy and more like a swamp in many places. After several hundred meters a local asked me if I had a passport. After I confirmed his question, he pointed out that the legal border crossing was on the other side of the wall. Apparently I was following a huge stream of people entering Nicaragua illegally!
This was a shock to me, especially since police and officials were simply watching the whole process and did not do a single thing. I turned around and arrived at migration with my shoes and pants all dirty. After paying taxes and having been sent in wrong directions by officials at the most confusing border crossing I have ever visited, I finally arrived at the collectivo (minibus that departs when full). I was the only one and was worried it would take a while. Then, tens of people came out of the forest and before I knew, the bus was full with people with dirty shoes and pants but without passports. Again, this all happened directly under the watchful observation of law enforcement and authorities.
To complete my first day in the country, I arrived in San Carlos in heavy rain and checked into what was without a doubt the worst accommodation of all my travels. For dinner I had the toughest meat and the next morning, after a night without any sleep, I was greeted by what appeared to be an elderly prostitute who asked if wanted some company. Welcome to Nicaragua!
Los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge is a true hidden gem
The next day, the sun was shining and random people greeted me and wanted to know where I was from. Life suddenly felt a lot better and I decided to give Nicaragua a second chance. After all, I had booked a stay in los Guatuzos Wildlife Refuge to experience the local jungle. In the port I hopped on the boat to Papaturro. Four hours later, Armando was there to check me in at Cabanas Caiman in the middle of the Nica-jungle. Some adventute was awaiting me…
Papaturro is nothing more than a few houses here and there spread out in the jungle. The local population is easily outnumbered by the wildlife. Everywhere you go, you’ll hear and/or see animals. During my first walk with Armando, we saw lizards, iguanas, howler monkeys, woodpackers, a sloth to name a few. The following days I walked around on my own and spotted many more monkeys and a variety of birds. Just behing the Cabanas Caiman, a huge iguana found his home high up in the trees…
As mentioned earlier, I also explored on my own. I usually walked around for about two hours before I got too hot and most of the times some bad weather came in as well. On the way back to my rustic cabin, a small kiosk was located. One day I heard a group of howler monkeys while sipping my delicious cold coke. They sounded really nearby and then I suddenly spotted them in the tree. I didn’t have to move and for about 15 minutes I observed these wonderful creatures shouting their longs out. What a sight!
Since I had done a tour with Armando during the day, I now wanted to explore the jungle at night. Other people had described these outings with Armando as magical, so I was quite curious and already had high expectations. I had done a few night tours in other places which usually meant a walk for about an hour just after dusk where the excitement to walk in the dark always beat the number of animals I finally got to see. Tours with Armando though, turned out to be way better…
From Armando and Aillen’s house, we hopped in a boat and started our adventure, usually around 6 – 6:30 pm. We cruised slowly through the river with Armando using his strong flashlight, both as guidance and to check for animals. We saw many sleeping birds (quite a strange sight at first), iguanas and a few caimans. After an hour or so of exploring the river, we docked the boat in some corner and ventured into the jungle on foot. This meant walking in a dense forest surrounded by thousands of frogs, some snakes and other reptiles with boots (luckily they had size 47!) deep in a swamp at times. True adventure sums it up best!
The weather wasn’t too bad, considering it was the rainy season. Yes, it rained every now and then but it actually didn’t really matter that much. If anything, it even added to the adventure. Luckily it didn’t came down in crazy amounts during those night tours, otherwise I might have had a different experience. The wet conditions did make the sightings of frogs very easy. With the help of Armando that is because most of these amazing frogs are very tiny (ranging from one to a few centimeters) so I had definitely missed the majority if I would have been on my own. We saw a huge variety of frogs, many were alone but we also came across a lot of couples doing the dance with no pants…
After exploring the jungle on foot for about an hour, we reached a dirt road. This may sound less adventurous but this turned out the be the habitat of snakes. Armando was excited to walk around and look into every bush and under each and every rock to spot some serpents, venomous or not. Armando was a pretty quiet man but you could tell he was passionate about nature in general and animals in particular. It didn’t take long before he spotted the first snake, a beautiful parrot snake. It’s mildly venomous but it wasn’t too big and at a safe distance. After observing it for a few minutes, we moved on…
Soon, we encountered more snakes. None of them were very big but they were all different and interesting to watch. Of course, I had to ask Armando about the presence of big cats in los Guatuzos, knowing the rainy season makes it extremely difficult to spot them in their habitat anyway. And yes, jaguars, pumas, margays and ocelots have all been spotted in the area which got me even more excited. Armando added that most sightings of the cats occur on the road we were walking on. In between the snake-sightings, I kept looking around me but the cats were not around unfortunately. Our menu consisted of snakes, frogs, a salamander and iguanas. Not bad either…
After exploring the river, jungle and dirt road for about four hours, we went back to the boat. I was already positively surprised that the tour lasted this long but we still had another boat ride on the agenda. At this time, there was no human activity whatsoever anymore. Papaturro was sleeping and it was just me and Armando in the boat in complete darkness. With his flashlight scanning the surroundings, we didn’t spot many sleeping birds but came across a few other really interesting creatures. Very well camouflaged, it was only Armando who could spot green iguanas in the middle of a bunch of leaves. It was until we were really close, that I finally saw the animal too. Looking at the expression of the iguana, I’m pretty sure we were happier to him/her (anyone?) than he/she was to see us!
The night tour with Armando was so enjoyable that I booked it again the following day. The boat ride only was already worth it. The second time, we saw mostly similar animals but in a different area of los Guatuzos and it offered me the opportunity to take more photos. How often will I be in a jungle at night, surrounded by frogs, snakes and iguanas with a reliable and knowledgeable guide on a private and affordable tour? Only a few times, which made it easy to book this tour for the second time. In hindsight, I’m happy I did it!
Cabanas Caiman is an amazing place for anyone interested in wildlife or nature in general. Aillen and Armando are great hosts and the locals are friendly and welcoming. The area is not yet discovered by mass tourism, making a visit feel like an authentic one. Of course, June is not high season by any means so there might be a handful of tourists in other times of the year. Aillen is always smiling and preparing lovely meals when she’s not teaching local kids or relaxing in her rocking chair. If you ever have the chance to visit, don’t hesitate. You won’t be disappointed. And guess what, I don’t get paid to say this and nobody asked me to write this down, I’m simply excited about the place and hope their business will survive for a while.
Granada and León, two nice colonial cities
After my adventures in the jungle, time had come to check out other parts of the country. With Granada and León, I had two colonial cities on my agenda. Instead of worrying about all sorts of creepy crawlers, I shifted my focus towards architecture and food. Both cities offer plenty in this regard. Buildings in Granada are colorful and beautiful tiles have been used to decorate the sidewalks and entrances whereas in León you’ll find more subtle colors and less explicit tiles. The main cathedral in León, the centerpiece of the city, is striking though. Traditional food can be found in both cities with Vigorón being the classic dish in Granada and the street food in front of the central market in León offering a tickling of the senses.
I started ‘city life’ in Granada after an interesting bus ride of about five hours through pouring rain and huge thunderstorms. I also met the first tourists on this journey, a French family (including two little daughters) biking through Latin America for several months. On arrival, I checked into Hotel Il Padrino, my base for the next couple of days where each morning started with a typical Nicaraguan breakfast while being surrounded by the cats and dogs of the residence. Local breakfast consists of gallo pinto (rice and beans), scrambled eggs, potatoes and toast. Agreed, it’s different than my usual start of the day but it wasn’t bad at all. And after all, I was in Nicaragua and wanted to indulge in local cuisine.
Wandering around Granada, the first things I noticed were that the city consisted of low-rise buildings only and that almost every building has a different color. Streets are quite wide and many people sit in their front yard interacting with people who pass by. A nice touch to many sidewalks are the beautiful tiles that have been used. some of them have really beautiful designs. Add these ingredients together and the result is something very pleasant. In addition there are some old colonial buildings including some striking cathedrals and several cafes and restaurants offer the opportunity to sit down and have a nice break during the day. The only crowded and potentially rougher area is where the central market is located. Still an interesting sight to visit and observe some local life.
Having tried the local breakfast, I still had to taste some of the classic Nicaraguan dishes. I started with nacatamal and something called ‘super nica maduro’ with the first meal being corn dough, pork or chicken, rice, vegetables and spices cooked in banana leaves and the second one was something odd if you’d ask me. Sweet, fried plantain stuffed with pork marinated in a red chili sauce with vinegar and oregano is at least one step too far for me. The nacatamal was quite nice but the super nice maduro will be a one-time-only thing. With a ong history with cacao, it’s no surprise that meals are typically being washed down with some of the finest chocolate milk (made of pure cacao). In the hot weather this is something I could easily get accustomed to!
All in all Granada is a nice city to explore but at the same time there isn’t that much to see or do. Yes, there are some tours available but you’ll end up in over-the-top touristy chocolate or cigar tours and there is always the option to join a backpacker-focused tour and go kayaking or climb a volcano and finish the day with lots of alcohol and selfies. After all, something has only happened when you have proof on Instagram…
Without joining the herd of spoilt millenials, I took some local buses to make my way towards León. I wanted to take the typical chicken bus (old buses from the US which people used back in the days to transport all their goods most likely including their chickens, hence the name) but ended up in minibuses. The first one from Granada to Managua was a comfortable one. The driver’s assistent noticed my length and offered me a seat next to the driver where I had a lot of space and great views. In addition, the driver was a great guy joking around which made the ride an enjoyable one.
The next one, from Managua to León, turned out to be a bit of a suffer fest. I ended up in the corner in the back with a backpack between my legs. Since the seats are made for people of roughly 5 feet tall, you can image someone being 1.90 doesn’t fit properly. After an hour or so, my butt started to hurt and my legs got sore. And I still had two hours to go…
The next day blood circulation in my legs was back to normal so I could explore the hot and humid city. After checking out the center I found a French bakery and I don;t have to tell you that I can’t simply ignore a place like that, especially after rice and beans for several days in a row. But before I went in I was approached by a local woman who, apparently, had been following me around for an hour or so. Her niece needed cancer treatment and if I could help her out. Lesson 1 of “How do you make someone feel uncomfortable?”…
It turned out to be the first but not the last awkward encounter in León with people begging for money. Other than that, León was quite a comfortable city without the true wow-factor if you’d ask me. Based on internet research, one might thing León is the highlight of Nicaragua (at least I did) with all the surrounding volcanoes and beaches nearby. A tour to any volcano either means you’ll be soon running out of budget or that you’ll end up in a hostel tour with all the negative consequences. I preferred to explore the city independently with a nice apartment (with swimming pool!) as my base.
The Catedral de León is impossible to ignore in León. This white masterpiece of architecture is located in the absolute center of town where most of the restaurants, the market and accommodations are as well. The highlight of a visit to this cathedral is a walk on the roof with all its domes. Needless to say, it offers great views of the city as well. Unfortunately, some areas were under maintenance during my visit but I could still admire many of the other domes in a glorious day with blue skies. Overall, the weather turned out to be pretty good in Nicaragua during the rainy season. I had some rain in the jungle but in Granada and León the weather turned out to be mostly dry. As mentioned before, it was hot and humid though so at times I looked like it had just rained heavily given my sweat-soaked t-shirt…
It was pleasant to have a swimming pool in my backyard and every now and then I bought a batido (fresh fruit with milk smoothie) to fight the heat. In the evenings I visited the market area to try some different street food at the local ‘fritanga’. In all honesty, the ladies who ran the show there, appeared to be a bit grumpy but I came primarily for the food and they had plenty an offer with all sorts of meat, vegetables and, of course, rice and beans. The first evening was significantly cheaper than my second visit the following day. Perhaps they implemented the gringo-tax but I also ordered more food to try out. Nevertheless, I usually enjoy some street food, both for the variety of food, the atmosphere and to watch some interactions between locals. This place was no exception and proved to be a nice outing in the evening.
After several days of wandering around the city in the heat, I looked forward to some fresh air and more nature. Matagalpa in the North of Nicaragua was my next stop.
Birdwatching in fresher conditions in the North
In Matagalpa I found a nice apartment on AirBnB that turned out to be hosted by a Dutchman. Where I saw a few tourists in Granada and León, I seemed to be the only one in Matagalpa. It’s not the most pretty city and I experienced a lot of heavy rain so at first I asked myself why I made the trip up North. My trip to Selva Negra on the first day was rather disappointing too. I explored their cloud forest and didn;t see animals at all and at their restaurant I encountered rich Nicaraguans who seemed to be more interested in their phones than in the nature surrounding them. Luckily, things changed the following day.
Together with Julio, a local guide, I explored Aguali biological station and its surroundings. The weather was reasonable this morning which was good for some birdwatching. Julio can best be described as a modern birdwatching guide. He used an app on his phone to play the song of a particular bird, trying to attract them so we could see them up close. Deceiving nature with technology, what a lovely time we live in…
Soon during our hike, we spotted the national bird of Nicaragua. The Guardabarranco is a beautiful bird with his striking racket-tipped tail feathers used to impress the ladies. Not much later, an Emerald toucanet flew over. Unfortunately, the bird moved quickly and often, making it very hard to get a good photo. We saw many woodpeckers and others birds of which the oriole was one to remember (also, I don’t know the names of some of the other birds due to my poor Spanish and his poor English) with its striking orange color. I’m not a fanatic birder by any means but colorful birds are interesting to me. Let’s say the sparrows we have in the flatlands do not make my blood pumping…
After spotting some nice butterflies and a tiny hummingbird, we left Aguali and walked back to town. The biological station and its surrounding forest are located a 20-minute walk from the center of Matagalpa. It’s a rather steep uphill on the way in, making the way back to town a relatively easy one. When we entered Matagalpa, we came across a few locals who were having a good time and enjoyed a chat with the rare foreigner. I experienced this several times during my stay in Nicaragua and their intentions seemed sincere. We had a laugh and, of course, I had to say that Nicaraguan women were exceptionally beautiful. Sometimes, telling a little white lie isn’t the worst…
Back downtown, the rain kicked in. And when I say rain, I mean heavy, very heavy rain. Life in Matagalpa continued though with loud monotonous music from the restaurant across the street. It was impossible to ignore and dominated the streets during the whole weekend I was there. That’s also Nicaragua. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in a potentially serene jungle, somewhere in the countryside or in the middle of a city, there’s always loud music being played. Time had definitely come to leave Matagalpa behind me. Final stop of the trip: Ometepe island.
Ometepe island, the most touristy spot of the trip
To reach Ometepe from Matagalpa, two bus rides and a ferry were needed. This time I started my journey with a ride in the chicken bus. Soon the bus from Matagalpa to Managua was full with people, not only sitting but the aisle was completely filled with people too. Safety regulations aren’t taken seriously in this part of the world. My neighbor in the bus was a roughly 150 kilo weighing dude who fell asleep and was leaning on my shoulder. At the same time my legs were hurting due to the lack of space and heavy rain entered the bus through the broken windows. This was an adventure to say the least. Luckily I didn’t have to go to the toilet…
At the island I saw quite a few backpackers which came as a bit of a shock having traveled around the country for a few weeks wihthout seeing too many tourists. As a result, I was desperately looking for a more authentic and preferable also quiet stay. A highly rated cabin in Balgüe sounded exactly what I was looking for. It was supposedly a heaven far enough from town to be pieceful, yet close enough to reach whatever you might need. Well, it turned out to be a bit different…
On arrival, some ladies sang their lungs out and not in a good way. When that was finished, loud cumbia music took over from one of the neighbors until 10:30 pm. Without the music, the dogs took center stage. At least ten dogs surrounding the cabin barked loudly through the night. At 3 am, when the dogs had finally calmed down, the roosters thought morning had arrived. Their loud calls also activated the dogs again and if that wasn’t enough, the young kids in the area started crying for whatever reason. Do I have to mention I didn’t agree with the other reviewers after three nights without sleep?
During my first day I rented a bike which broke when I had reached the other side of the island. Not ‘just’ a flat tire, no the derailleur was broken and somehow got upside down and in between the spokes. I couldn’t even walk with the bike. This was pretty bad at the time since I had to pay for a 25 dollar taxi to bring the bike back but it also meant I got to know Finca Mystica. This beautiful finca was near the point where my bike broke down and, as a result, I decided to have lunch there and get my stuff sorted. The vibe was so good that I booked three nights to recover from my other accommodation. This turned out to be a great decision!
Some accommodations just have something magic about them. The owners, Angela and Ryan, were extremely welcoming. They split their time between Steamboat Springs in Colorado and Merida in Nicaragua where the finca is located. They serve delicious meals, have nice cabins with great views and their cats and dogs create a pleasant atmosphere. Merida is also a nice village in a quiet part of the island where roads are in bad condition and fancy buildings are non-existent. In short, it still has an authentic feel to it. From the finca I could reach a quiet beach in about 10 to 15 minutes on foot.
About half an hour further down the road, Fernando, a friendly man from Barcelona, had his restaurant Los Chocoyos in Caballito’s Mar. This was another peaceful place on the island without millenials and loud music. He served delicious fresh fish under a mango tree which attracted parakeets (chocoyos) and parrots, hence the name of his restaurant. His place was located at a small beach where locals washed their clothes and I could enjoy a nice swim to cool down from the heat. During my first visit, he convinced me to go on a kayak tour in order to spot some birds in a mangrove with views of a volcano on either side (when looking down on Ometepe, you’ll see two large circles formed around a volcano which are connected in the middle).
Moving slowly through the mangrove in a kayak was simply magical. I spotted several birds but nothing too exotic. The weather turned great after a heavy but short spell of rain which enables perfect views of both volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas. All in all, a few hours very well spent!
The next day I had my final adventure in Nicaragua on the agenda. At 8 am I started my hike to the top of the Maderas volcano, together with my guide Simeon, After a hearty breakfast consisting of French toast and a bowl of fresh fruit, Simeon showed up and Solito, one of the finca’s dogs, was ready to join us. I have done many hikes in my life but not so many in hot and humid weather. wasn’t sure what to expect on this hike to the top at 1.394 meters. Simeon, 70 years old, did this hike several times a week and couldn’t wait to get started…
This morning it was cloudy with a drizzle every now and then, not the perfect day for a good view up high. We were just a couple of minutes on our way and I was already completely soaked. We walked in the forest and things got steeper and steeper as we gained elevation. Maderas has two viewpoints of which the first one is located at around 700 meters. On arrival the low clouds dominated the sky and we couldn’t see a thing. After a short break we continued on the slippery path. An hour and half later we probably got the only couple of minutes during the hike where the clouds had moved up. This was exactly at the second viewpoint, lucky us!
The view was quite spectacular and even Concepcion was completely clear which is rather unusual since its summit is normally hidden in the clouds. From here it was only half an hour to the summit which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. The summit is nothing more than a spot in the bushes without any views and a very strong wind. The combination of a soaked shirt and this wind made us even feel cold and we decided to go down. Solito wanted a longer break but the dog was not in charge. The downhill was rather scary and intens due to the slippery path with rather steep sections. Four hours later I returned at the finca in very dirty clothes. I had slipped several times (apparently normal on this hike) and was completely exhausted. Simeon was still full of energy and went again the next day…
The next day I had to say goodbye to the staff, a sad moment. Finca Mystica is the place I could stay for a long time. From there I took the bus to Moyogalpa in order to catch the ferry the next morning at 6 am and go to Costa Rica.
Final words
In 3,5 weeks I have explored different parts of Nicaragua. The country offers great nature and wildlife and has varied destinations. The people seem to be sincerely interested and are willing to have a chat. Due to the lack of tourists, it still has a authentic feel. Public transportation feels adventurous but always seem to work just fine in the end. Before my visit I was a bit worried about the weather. What would the rainy season really mean? Well, it turned out to be great for the majority of the trip. It was dry and hot in most places. Only around Matagalpa some sunnier weather might have helped to spot more birds. Los Guatuzos was great this time of year but will probably offer the chance to see other animals in the dry season. So, this is not a bad thing, it simply offers a nice opportunity to go back one day. The greatest thing about the so-called rainy season? It keeps the tourists away.
Was everything absolutely fantastic in Nicaragua? Well, there were definitely a few challenges for me. Nowadays, almost everybody is constantly on their phone, no matter where in the world you are. In Nicaragua however, nobody has earphones. As a result, things can get complicated for me in certain public places. While enjoying a meal, I find it very annoying having to listen to about 10 different TikTok-movies being played at the same time around me. Buses are a lot worse, simply because there are more people who are also crampted together. Even my noise cancelling headphones cannot block all the sound produces by the different phones. As a highly sensitive person, I was usually exhausted after a bus ride…
In general, most Nicas don’t seem to care too much about other people when it comes to producing sound. In the most serene place in the middle of nature, someone might decide to play crazy loud music at 6 am and nobody seems to care. And, by now, I think I officially suffer from PTSD related to barking dogs…
To summarize, Nicaragua offered an amazing adventure with mostly positives. I would most certainly like to return one day. I’ll most likely skip most of the cities and focus on los Guatuzos and the area North of Matagalpa. Both areas are remote, offer beautiful nature and wildlife and should hopefully be quiet enough. If I go in the dry season, I might see quite a few other animals as well. The noise in the bus is a price I’m willing to pay…
Click here to see more pictures of my trip to Nicaragua!
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