To enter Nicaragua as a tourist, all you need to do is purchase a $5 tourist card upon arrival. Technically your passport also needs to be valid for the length of your stay in Nicaragua, not the six months that it does with most other countries. You also must have proof of travel onward, either back to your country of origin or to another country, and evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself while you are in Nicaragua. The funds aren’t exactly something you can prove at the airport, so they don’t particularly check for it, but you should make sure you have a ticket of travel onward, even if you plan on renewing your tourist card, or applying for residency once in Nicaragua.

The tourist card that is issued is usually valid for 30 – 90 days. If you wish to stay for 90 days, request it right there on the immigration form given to you  most likely by your airline. If you don’t see the box asking for how long you want the visa for, make sure you ask the person admitting you to the country that you wish to get a 90 day visa. The cost is still the same – $5.

A departure tax of $32 is also charged, but most airlines include that in the price of the ticket. 

Nicaraguan law stipulates that foreigners must always be in possession of a valid identity document while in Nicaragua. A valid passport with your entry stamp is acceptable, however, it is not advisable that you carry that with you. Instead, make a copy of the photo page and the page with your stamp on it. Carry that with you.

Technically Mombacho is a dormant volcano, and it is has 4 craters, with a summit of approximately 1200 meters. One of the neatest things about the summit is that due to the height and location of volcano, the resulting environment is a cloud forest.

Cloud forests are generally tropical or subtropical evergreen-moist mountain top forests with a high incidences of low-level cloud cover. Because of the moisture and make-up of the forest, they are often covered with moss, both on the ground and on the vegetation.

You can hike on your own, hire a guide from the biological station, or go with a tour company. If you decide to use a company, make sure and ask lots of questions, as almost anyone in Nicaragua feels they can be a tour guide.  

To do it without a guide head straight to the volcano itself and enter the reserve. Once you go inside the reserve there is a truck that takes 4 trips up to the summit daily. You can take your own car, but you will want to make sure it is a 4 wheel drive vehicle, and that your driver is comfortable driving up steep hills. The ride takes about a half an hour. Make sure you bring a sweater as it is chilly up top!

There is a tourist center at the summit, with souvenirs and a cafeteria. You can also hire a guide to take you around the volcano.

For more information visit www.mombacho.com.

For hiking tours visit www.toursnicaragua.com

Head down to the Marina Cocibolca, where you can find plenty of rental and tour agencies. At NicarAgua Dulce you can choose between kayaks and electric boats. and go with or without a guide.

Make sure you bring a camera, and hire the guide (they only cost $5 an hour!). They make sure you see all the best sites. With NicarAgua Dulce you have the choice of going to a small private island (Zopango Island in Asese Bay) where you can eat fresh fish cooked on the BBQ, swim with the turtles, and chill out on comfortable hammocks.

While winding in and out of the over 300 little islets you can get some great shots of the Mombacho volcano, and see some amazing sites on the islands themselves. Apart from the animals and plant life, there are some incredible mansions, in contrast to the little houses constructed by the locals who live there.

Check out the NicarAgua Dulce web-site for help planning your trip to this amazing destination.

www.nicaraguadulce.com

Take Playa Roca Beach Hotel in Las Penitas, Leon in Northern Nicaragua for example. They have seen a 42% increase in visitors over last year! That is incredible when overall the world is in recession. At Playa Roca you can still get a room on the beach with a view of the ocean for a family of 4 for under $100 a day, including food and drinks! Check out www.playaroca.com for more information.

When you couldn’t afford to go to Hawaii, you planned a trip to Costa Rica. Now that Costa Rica seems a little bit out of reach, why not try Nicaragua? (It isn’t Honduras – no worries of a military coup here!) Things are stable, the people are happy, and are just waiting to be able to show you what Nicaragua is all about.

If you are interested in travel to Nicaragua, but not quite sure where to start, don’t worry. I have developed this blog as part of a network called the Gringo Network, and have all of my favorite people on hand to help plan your trip with you. No matter what information you are looking for, you will be able to find it by clicking here. I make sure that you get the information you need from the people who really know!

The service is good as far as the waiters being attentive and accomodating. The only complaint that has registered is that sometimes there are errors on the bill (additional items, a double tip) and so on. Make sure you keep your guard up when it comes to money and dishes. Waiters often recommend the more expensive items, and if you order liquor be very specific as to what kind you want (top shelf or not) as they will serve you the more expensive kind.

The presentation is excellent; the food looks and tastes great.

Las Nogueras is good for a private romantic dinner on the outdoor patio, or a big group meal. With an extensive menu everyone is sure to find something they will enjoy.

Las Nogueras is located in the Zona Hippos, one block from Joe’s Giraffe on the left.

It seems the indigenous separatists and the Sandinista government are heading towards confrontation as reports stream in of mounting tension and even violence.

The Sandinista government is suspicious of the separatists leaders and is claiming that they are working in conjunction with the U.S. CIA to stir up problems with the lobster divers and the fishing companies, with the ultimate goal of toppling the regional government.

Contrary to that, the separatists claim that the Sandinistas are using the strike of the lobster divers as an excuse to “squelch their historic claim to the Communitarian Nation of the Moskitia, which announced its rebirth April 19” (quotes from www.nicatimes.com)

Although divers are back at it, the 15 day strike doesn’t mark the end of the battle as leaders of the separatist Moskitia movement say they will continue to push for fair wages.

To read the rest of the story in its original form, click here.

The primary forms of transportation in Bluefields are buses, mini-buses, and taxis. Taxis are inexpensive and the most comfortable way to travel.

Prices may have gone up since the last time I was there, but the cost for the buses and mini-buses is about 2 cordobas, and the taxi is about 5. That is during the day. At night, after 10 pm, the price of the taxis goes up to 10 cordobas. The buses only run until about 8 pm, but the taxis will run until there are no more passengers to take!

From Bluefields you can travel up to El Bluff and Pearl lagoon by means of panga, a small boat.

No worries though, getting around in Bluefields is easy. The people are very helpful, and the transportation is relatively safe, although you should also keep a close eye on your belongings and watch out for pick-pockets.

The food along the coastal regions of Nicaragua is quite different from the interior; the culture and make-up of the population is extremely different as well. If you have visited Nicaragua,  but have never made it to the Atlantic coast, there is a whole other world for you to discover.

If you are looking to try a local dish, I recommend the rondón, a tuber stew made with coconut milk and fish or dried meat. The stew combines bananas, plantains, dasheen, cassava, onions, coconut, cucumber, chocho, soup cubes, and smoked meat together into a delicious blend.

Not that you could miss it, but the coconut bread is also a must try while visiting Bluefields, or anywhere else along the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.

Since the Bluefields region hasn’t quite figured out how to tap into the tourism industry, the area has yet to reach its full potential. This means, many of the roadside restaurants are done to local standards, rather than made to appease tourists. Often, the cleanest places to eat that meet international standards are at the hotels. But, if you aren’t afraid to eat at one of the local joints, I highly recommend you do so.

First class restaurants in Bluefields are Chez Marcel, Salamar, El Flotante, Arco Iris and Tia Irene. Middle of the road places include Bella Vista, Hollywood, Pescado Frito, Cima Club, Mini Cafetin and Barbie’s. Lower end joints to eat are China Nica, Aeropuerto, Incognito and Squiris. There are also a large number of local places, called fritongas, where you can get a good meal for cheap.

The trip from Bluefields to Pearl Lagoon (Laguna de Perlas) is a journey in itself! First you travel across the bay, and then follow the river up to the next lagoon. The trip affords you the opportunity to see local communities of the Miskito people that live right on the waters’ edge. You will also see natives using the waterway as a means of transportation to conduct their daily business. At certain places on the river the width of the it can get pretty narrow, encompassing you in the jungle.

Once you arrive in Pearl Lagoon, look up Miss Ingrid’s. As far as I know she runs the only place to stay at in Pearl Lagoon. For your food however, you have options: Miss Ingrid’s or Del’s. Both places serve up some pretty delicious eats, and you can get a meal for between C$20 and C$80.

Boats leave every morning from the bay for Pearl Lagoon. While you could make the trip without a technical tour guide, since every boat is navigated by a local, it makes sense to have someone along with you who knows the area and can add to your experience on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua.

One such company is Tours Nicaragua, which offers a variety of Caribbean Culture Tour packages, many of them arranging from your travel from Managua to Bluefields.

Condor Journeys and Adventures also has a number of tours that allow you to explore the Caribbean Coast.

Option 1 – Flying

You can purchase tickets to fly to Bluefields from Managua directly at the Managua airport. La Costeña Airlines is the most popular for domestic flights within Nicaragua, and they also offer flights to nearby countries. You can view schedules and fares by visiting the La Costeña Airlines web-site. Flights cost about USD $130, with three fights leaving in the morning (two early and one mid-morning) and one flight leaving in the early afternoon. Currently the online booking section of the La Costeña Airlines web-site is under construction, so in order to make inquiries regarding reservations online the site suggests you email reservacion@lacostena.com.ni. The flight is around an hour, and one round-trip ticket secures you 50 lbs of stowed luggage and a carry-on bag.

Option 2 – Bus and Boat

The bus and boat method is for those whose travel is dictated by money, not by time. This method is by far the more economical, but it also takes 10 times the amount of time. The entire trip from Managua to Bluefields by bus and boat takes roughly between 10 and 12 hours, but costs a fraction of flying there, at about USD $20 for the entire trip.

The tried and true way is by taking an overnight bus from Managua to he port city of El Rama, where you catch the boat that goes down the river to Bluefields.  If you prefer a more comfortable 10 hour drive to the Atlantic Coast you can contract a private bus company such as Empresa Vargas Peña (tel 280-1812 in Managua; tel 822-1410 in Bluefields) who provide service from Managua to El Rama, and then a connection to the boat that takes you to Bluefields. Empresa Vargas Peña departs three times daily from the Mercado Iván Montenegro in Managua: 5 am, putting you in Bluefields at 3 pm, a 2:45 pm departure, staying overnight in El Rama and completing the boat leg in the morning, and a 9:30 pm departure, arriving in Bluefields at 7:30 am the following day.

Bluefields may not be the easiest place to get to in Nicaragua, but it is worth the work.