An affable all-rounder, Nicaragua embraces travelers with diverse offerings of volcanic landscapes, colonial architecture, sensational beaches, remote, idyllic islands, wave-battered Pacific beaches and pristine forests.
Click HERE to buy the Lonely Planet's Lonely Planet's new Nicaragua travel guide
Wander the cobblestone streets of Granada, laze on the white sand beaches of Little Corn Island, or hike around the paradise of Isla de Ometepe.
Lonely Planet writer Anna Kaminski describes why she loves Nicaragua. "I first got to know Nicaragua many years ago, when backpacking across Central America. I learned of the proxy war played out on Nicaraguan soil, courtesy of the USSR and the USA, and witnessed the still-healing scars from the conflict. Even then, Nicaragua struck me as an incredibly resilient country and Central America's ultimate all-rounder. It has a rich and fascinating history, and beautiful and varied landscapes - from barely explored jungle to arid volcanoes and windswept pacific beaches. But what draws me back, above all, is the warmth and tenacity of its people."
Nicaragua Top 10
1. Granada
2. Little Corn Island
3. Isla de Ometepe
4. León
5. Pearl Keys
6. Rio San Juan
7. Coffee Country
8. Surfing near San Juan del Sur
9. Volcan Masaya & Laguna de Apoyo
10. Turtles at La Flor
Inside Lonely Planet’s Nicaragua Travel Guide:
- Colour maps and images throughout
- Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
- Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
- Honest review for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
- Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - Nicaragua Today, History, Nicaraguan Way of Life, Arts & Architecture, Land & Wildlife, politics
Curator: Anna Kaminski
Writers: Tom Masters
Get to the heart of Nicaragua and begin your journey now!
by The Raven Brothers
Out of shape and unprepared, The Raven Brothers return to the road in a collection of ten quests to travel to their dream destinations against all odds! After two decades pioneering new routes across the globe, you would expect the authors of 'Driving the Trans-Siberian' to be hotshot explorers, with a sixth sense and an ability to survive in almost any situation. Think again! With virtually zero knowledge of the workings of the internal combustion engine and very limited skills of wilderness survival, Simon and Chris struggle into their hiking boots and power across three continents by river, tarmac and trail.
Venture to the top of Norway, cruise the road to Damascus, hike the Camino trail into Spain’s Wild West, row the Ganges, explore Frida Kahlo’s world in Mexico City, hangout with the dead in Sicily’s eerie catacombs, crawl deep inside Bolivia’s notorious silver mine, seek lions in Gujarat, wellness in Berlin and journey into the Naga Hills where tribal kings still rule.
Noted by Lonely Planet for their talent to portray an “accurate view of what to expect”, 'Hike, Drive, Stayin’ Alive!' signals a return to the duo writing “buttock clenching” travel comedy with the first in a series of candid stories of adventure by The Raven Brothers.