Places to visit in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is compact enough to combine colonial cities, volcanoes, lake islands and beaches in a single trip. Most holidays start in Granada and work west and south from there. Here’s where we recommend spending your time.
Tailor-made holidays
Flexible, custom-made holidays to Latin America created to match your exact requirements: our tailor-made itineraries are as unique as the clients for whom they are designed.
Corn Islands
Beaches shaded by coconut palms, warm clear water and a mellow Afro-Caribbean culture make the Corn Islands Nicaragua’s classic barefoot paradise. There are no malls or glitzy resorts, just quiet beaches, family-run fish restaurants and some of the region’s best snorkelling and diving. They’re a wonderfully relaxed counterpoint to Nicaragua’s colonial cities, lakes and volcanoes.
Granada
One of Central America’s most beautiful colonial cities is on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Granada is one of the oldest cities in Central America, and it’s still one of our favourite places to send travellers in Nicaragua – colourful streets, cobbled squares and Mombacho Volcano watching over it all.
Leon
León is Nicaragua’s intellectual and cultural capital – grand colonial architecture, revolutionary history and a thriving artistic community make it one of Central America’s most fascinating cities. It’s known for its red-tiled buildings, elegant plazas and the powerful role it’s played in Nicaragua’s political and cultural identity.
Matagalpa and the north
Swap beaches and volcanoes for cool cloud forest and coffee-growing hills in Nicaragua’s mountainous north. Matagalpa, where cloud forest creates perfect conditions for shade-grown coffee and pulls in birdwatchers and hikers. It’s a slower, greener side of Nicaragua, and one of the most rewarding additions you can make to an itinerary.
Ometepe Island
Ometepe is one of Central America’s most remarkable landscapes – two volcanic peaks rising dramatically from the waters of Lake Nicaragua to form the world’s largest freshwater island. Relaxed and tranquil, it offers a unique mix of natural beauty, rural life and outdoor adventure.
Pacific coast
Golden beaches and jungle-covered cliffs set the scene for Nicaragua Pacific Coast holidays. It’s one of the wildest, least developed stretches of shoreline in Central America. Close to the Costa Rican border, the little fishing town of San Juan del Sur draws surfers from all over. Learn to surf, watch pelicans, or simply to unwind.
Rio San Juan
Pirates once sailed the Río San Juan in search of gold, and Horatio Nelson captured its fortress before fever struck his forces. Flowing from Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean through dense rainforest, the river passes the vast Indio Maíz Reserve. Our Río San Juan holidays explore its jungle waterways, riverside settlements and unspoilt natural surroundings.