Nicaragua Visitor Guide

NICARAGUA LOCATION AND POPULATION: Nicaragua is Central America's largest country at 130,000 km2. It is bordered by Honduras and the Gulf of Fonseca in the north, Costa Rica in the south, the Caribbean Sea in the east and the Pacific Ocean in the west. Nicaragua is home to just over 5 million people, making it the least densely populated country in Central America.

NICARAGUA GEOGRAPHY: The Pacific basin is blessed with a spine of more than 50 volcanoes that run from the northern Pacific Gulf of Fonseca, south into Lake Nicaragua. 7 of these are active and 14 sport crater lakes. The Pacific basin is separated from the central and northern mountains and eastern rain forests by Central America's two biggest lakes: Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is the 2nd largest in Latin America at 8,264 km2 and is home to over 450 volcanic origin islands, including the world's largest volcanic lake island, Isla Ometepe and 5 distinct archipelagos. Lake Nicaragua's western-most point is only 18 km from the Pacific Ocean, but drains into the Caribbean Sea by means of the San Juan River's 190 km length. 10% of Nicaragua is covered by lakes, rivers and lagoons, 35% is covered in forests. The remaining 55% is a mixture of grazing and farm lands with scattered villages and cities. Please see our "Country Information" page for more details on Nicaragua's nature reserves, colonial cities, villages, beaches and volcanoes.

NICARAGUA CLIMATE: Nicaragua enjoys an average temperature of 27°C (80°F) year round. Humidity averages 65%. There are two seasons, green and dry. The green season is from mid-May to mid-November, the dry season from late-November to early-May. Rain during the green season is normally limited to short and powerful bursts with longer showers at night. The hottest time of year is at the end of the dry season, from March to May, while the coolest period is from October to January. The most pleasant and beautiful time to visit Nicaragua is from June to January, unless visiting the San Juan River and Solentiname rain forest area, when the months of July, August and the period from December to March are best.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO NICARAGUA: Managua International Airport has the most modern facilities in Central America with a complete terminal remodel finished in 2007. Five international airline carriers fly into Managua International Airport: Two Central American carriers and three North American carriers.

• American Airlines 2 daily non-stops from Miami
• Delta Airlines 1 daily non-stop from Atlanta
• Continental Airlines 1 daily non-stop from Houston
• TACA Airlines 3 daily non-stops from El Salvador
• COPA Airlines 1 daily non-stop from Houston, Guatemala and Panama

Other options include non-stop flights to neighboring countries and then a 30 minute connecting flight to Managua. One example is TACA which flies non-stop daily to El Salvador from Los Angeles. There are also non-stops to San José, Costa Rica from both the USA and Europe that connect to short flights to Managua.

The most advantageous flight schedules for getting extra touring time inside Nicaragua are American Airlines' early afternoon non-stop and the COPA and TACA morning arrivals after connecting flights. To fly from Europe to Nicaragua without going through Miami a non-stop to San José, Costa Rica can be used with connecting flight to Managua or flights through Caracas, Venezuela. Iberia also offers non-stops from Madrid to Guatemala and Costa Rica that connect to Nicaragua.

FLIGHT TICKETS TO NICARAGUA: Tours Nicaragua is a tour operator and outfitter and does not sell international flight tickets. We do provide local flights inside Nicaragua, but international flight tickets to Nicaragua must be purchased in your country of origin from a travel agent or airline company.

NICARAGUA CURRENCY: The Nicaraguan monetary unit is the córdoba. Current exchange rate is 19.18 cordobas to 1 US dollar. The US dollar is also accepted at most hotels and restaurants. Keep in mind that you will receive change in cordobas. Small denomination notes are very useful for your arrival to Nicaragua. Visa, MasterCard and American Express cards are widely accepted. Automated teller machines are found only in Managua, Granada and Leon. Travelers' checks can be changed in Managua only and are therefore not recommended. Euros and other foreign currencies can not be changed in Nicaragua. The Costa Rican colón can only be changed inside Costa Rica and at the land or river border crossings with Nicaragua.

PASSPORT AND VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR NICARAGUA: Visitors to Nicaragua must have at least 6 months of validity remaining on their passport and a return flight ticket to country of origin. Visas are not required for citizens of most countries, including those of Western Europe, Canada and the USA. Only citizens of the following countries must obtain visas to enter Nicaragua: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Armenia, Bosnia, Cameroon, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, India, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Peru, Dominican Republic, China, North Korea, Romania, Sierra Leon, Syria, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine, Vietnam, Yemen and Yugoslavia. If your country's name is not on this list you do not need a visa to visit Nicaragua.

PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED TRAVELERS: Nicaragua has few built-in conveniences for disabled persons, however things are gradually improving and all visitors find the Nicaraguans to be a very helpful people. Tours Nicaragua offers only private tours and welcomes visitors who face physical challenges traveling. Tours Nicaragua gives special care and attention to see that all of our visitors are able to enjoy the beauty of Nicaragua's people and nature.

TAXES AND TIPS: Airport entrance tax for visitors to Nicaragua is US$5.00 and airport exit tax is US$32.00. Land border taxes range from US$5-8 depending on crossing and time of day. A 10% tip is included in most bills at restaurants, it is not mandatory to pay. Sales tax (IVA) in Nicaragua is mandatory and 15% including hotels. All of Tours Nicaragua's tour packages include hotel taxes and food tax and tips when meals are included in the program.

BUSINESS HOURS: Tours Nicaragua's office is open Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

NICARAGUA TIME: Nicaragua is on the same time as Central Standard Time (Chicago) in the USA. During daylight savings time in the USA and Europe, Nicaragua is effectively on Mountain Standard Time (Denver) in the USA.

ELECTRICAL CURRENT: 110 volts, standard American plugs are used.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO: In Nicaragua an extremely limited range of photography and video products are available. We strongly recommend stocking up on all supplies if you will photograph or video tape during your visit. Batteries that are not standard radio batteries are nearly impossible or completely unavailable in Nicaragua, please buy fresh batteries and have spares for your visit.

NICARAGUA SAFETY - Is Nicaragua's Negative Image Justified? Is Nicaragua safe?
Many people are surprised to learn that the United Nations ranks Nicaragua as the second safest country in all of Latin America (behind Uruguay). Many of our customers have related to us that before their visit to Nicaragua they were shown concern by family or friends about safety issues in Nicaragua. Is the negative image of Nicaragua justified? Is it dangerous here?

The easiest way to diminish negative feelings about Nicaragua is to visit and see for yourself. Since you are viewing this site you may soon have that pleasure. The second best way to learn more about safety in Nicaragua would be to talk to a friend who has been here. Many do not have that opportunity, so a comparison with other countries is useful. Statistics are an imperfect science, but they do serve to put things in perspective, especially with a country like Nicaragua, whose image is so much the opposite of its reality.

According to Interpol in 2001, crime rate per 100,000 was 9,927 for England, 7,736 for Germany, 4,161 for the USA and 1,750 for Nicaragua. According to Interpol Nicaragua is home to less than half the crime of the USA and a quarter of the crime in England or Germany. Murder rates are a good measure for a country's level of violent crime as murders rarely go unreported. The world's homicide rate is currently estimated at 8.86 per 100,000. Latin America is quite a bit rougher, with an average of 22.9 murders per 100,000 in the region. Most neighbor countries of Nicaragua in Central America are on the upper end of the world's scale, exactly where the world might expect Nicaragua would be located. Countries like El Salvador at 117 per 100,000, Guatemala at 45 per 100,000 and Honduras at 41 per 100,000. In North America, the US murder rate is 7.1 per 100,000, yet its cities weigh in at 14.8 per 100,000 for Los Angeles, 21.9 for Chicago, 31.7 for Atlanta, with Washington, D.C. at 41.8 and New Orleans at 43.3. Costa Rica is at 7.2, the same as the US nationwide and significantly safer than most other Central American republics. But what about Nicaragua? Nicaragua suffers only 3.4 per 100,000, making it the least violent country in Central America and one of the safest in the entire hemisphere.

Despite their usefulness in making comparisons, statistics can do nothing to help demonstrate the Nicaraguan people's interminable sense of humor, warmth and hospitality. Nor do numbers highlight Nicaragua's love for poetry or their amazing, daily reinvention of the Spanish language. Percentages do little to reveal Nicaragua's unique cultures of dance, music, and great food. These are all qualities that carry no numerical value. Nicaragua is one of the safest places to visit in the Americas thanks to her unique people. No writer can do them proper justice with a long list of numbers. Some qualities can only be felt, experienced first hand. Only a visit to Nicaragua can provide that pleasure.