Nicaragua travel guide pdf

Rent a 4WD vehicle, if you're up for it — it's the best way to access some of the less-traveled corners of the country, or hop abroad an east-coast-bound boat — and forge onward to visit remote indigenous communities, overgrown pre-Columbian ruins and untouched rainforests.

Jump to: Table of contents. These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Nicaragua. The park entrance is just 7km from Masaya on the Managua highway and most tour operators in Granada run evening trips to the crater. Attractions include three hiking trails of varying difficulty, an organic coffee farm and more.

Take a tour from Granada or drive yourself. Gushing from underground, it has carved solid rock into this 3km-long gorge that drops m, and at times is just a hair under 10m wide. While much of the reserve is restricted, it is possible to visit certain parts of it. In horrific fires caused by outsiders, who were clearing forest illegally to use as farmland, destroyed huge areas of ancient forest and it will take decades for the reserve to recover. One of the oldest churches in Central America, Convento San Francisco boasts a robin's egg—blue birthday-cake facade and houses both an important convent and one of the best museums in the region.

United Arab Emirates. United Kingdom. Vatican City Holy See. West Bank. You are about to leave travel. Department of State. Links to external websites are provided as a convenience and should not be construed as an endorsement by the U. Department of State of the views or products contained therein. If you wish to remain on travel. Cancel GO. Embassy Messages Alerts.

Quick Facts. No 90 days or fewer. Tourist card at airport. Yellow fever in some cases, see Entry Requirements section. Embassies and Consulates. Destination Description. Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements. For visitors other than tourists, the Nicaraguan government recommends that you pre-register your trip by following the instructions available on the Nicaraguan immigration website in Spanish only.

See our website for additional information. All travelers should have an onward or return ticket and evidence of funds to support yourself while in Nicaragua. You must carry a valid identity document at all times. Visitors remaining longer must obtain an extension from Nicaraguan Immigration or be subject to large fines. Many travelers must show proof of yellow fever vaccination administered at least 10 days before travel in order to be permitted entry to Nicaragua.

Please review the requirements on our website to see if you need this vaccination before your travel to Nicaragua. If you use a passport of a different nationality than you did on prior trips to Nicaragua, Nicaraguan authorities may deny you entry. If you possess multiple nationalities, you should carry a valid passport for all of them. Nicaragua may quarantine you or not allow you to enter the country if you exhibit signs of illness.

For specific information, contact the Nicaraguan Ministry of Health. You must exit Nicaragua with the same passport used for entry. If your U. This cannot be done at the airport on departure. If for some reason it is not, you can pay the tax at the airline counter when departing. The Government of Nicaragua requires special notification for official travelers. All U. See the U. Embassy website for information regarding departure requirements for children under 18 who also are Nicaraguan citizens.

Safety and Security. The Government of Nicaragua is authoritarian, limits freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, represses internal dissent, and monitors and responds to perceived threats to its authority. Convictions under these laws are largely arbitrary and may result in long prison sentences.

The legal process can result in prolonged detentions of U. While Nicaraguan laws provide for a fair and transparent judicial process, it is not always provided in practice by Nicaraguan authorities, particularly in cases of politically motivated arrests. Demonstrations or strikes may occur throughout the country; in the past, these have turned violent.

Avoid demonstrations and exercise extreme caution around large gatherings. Uniformed police or para-police commit violence and intimidate civilians throughout the country, often for political reasons. There are no forensic doctors on the Corn Islands , so victims of violent crimes, including sexual assault, must travel to Bluefields at their own expense for medical examinations and collection of evidence.

In several recent cases, police were reluctant to produce police reports or pursue charges. Please report such incidents to the Embassy. Medical services outside Managua are limited, including for victims of crime. Exercise extreme caution when renting or driving vehicles.

Due to crime and other illicit activity, U. Local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting crimes. The Embassy can: Help you find appropriate medical care. Assist you in reporting a crime to the police.

Contact relatives or friends with your written consent. Provide a list of local attorneys. Help you find accommodation and flights home. Replace a stolen or lost passport. Coastal Disputes: Be aware of the following border disputes: Nicaragua and Colombia have an ongoing dispute over waters surrounding the San Andres Islands.

Get BOOK. Lonely Planet Nicaragua. Kayak through Central America's largest mangrove forest, experience life on a coffee farm, or chill out on idyllic white-sand beaches;. With this guide you can: - Surf hidden breaks uncovered by local surfers - Summit active volcanoes, zipline over lush rainforest, sit and sip at one of the country's many organic coffee farms, or hang your hammock in a remote Caribbean village - Float through the pristine rain forest that lines the Rio San Juan, tracing the Costa Rican border from Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea.

The V VA community of on-the-ground travel writers, local experts and travelers like you are continuously updating and improving this guide at vivatravelguides.

Join them, and together we'll make the best guidebook to Nicaragua even better. Perfect for both the seasoned traveler and the armchair dreamer, it brings you the very best in travel - extraordinary landscapes, jaw-dropping architecture, white-knuckle adventures, and the world's best beaches. The guide's suggestions range from Intrepid travel adventures such as trekking to the source of the Ganges, cycling the Karokoram Highway, and hiking Corsica's GR20 to suggestions for the perfect places to stay-have you ever tried sleeping in a yurt in Inner Mongolia or chilled out at the Ice hotel in Sweden?

For amazing wildlife, why not look for lemurs in Madagascar or go platypus-watching in Australia?