Nicaragua
Welcome to Nicaragua!
Discover insight to living in Nicaragua, the delights, seek adventure, follow the tropical weather…. and help contribute to the economy and people of this incredible country.
Nicaragua: Beautiful, Affordable, and Misunderstood
Along Central America’s Pacific coast you’ll find rocky outcrops, world-class surf, and some of the most jaw-dropping views in the world. If it’s natural beauty you are after, Nicaragua is the jewel of this stretch of coast.
Why Nicaragua?
Why You Should Consider Nicaragua
Nicaragua is virtually unknown–and usually misunderstood–by most people, which is why forward-thinking investors can find some of the best real estate deals on Earth in this country. For the record, this country is not in the midst of a civil war…and it’s not a Communist state. It has, however, suffered from a serious case of bad press.
Located in the heart of Central America, Nicaragua is an exceptional place with countless volcanos, amazing natural resources and the friendliest of people. With the Nicaragua real estate still being affordable and attainable to the average person, Nicaragua’s popularity is growing.
Experience the incredibly uncharted, densely cultural and the underestimated, yet breathtaking, Nicaragua.
Money & costs
Money
Nicaragua’s currency is the córdoba (C$), sometimes called a ‘peso’ or ‘real’ by locals, or a ‘cord’ by expats. Córdobas come in coins of C$0.25, C$0.50, C$1 and C$5, and bills of C$10, C$20, C$50, C$100 and C$500. Bills of C$100 and larger can be difficult to change; try the gas station.
US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, unless they are worn or damaged. We give prices in US dollars, as costs in córdoba are more likely to fluctuate with the exchange rate. That said, córdobas are usually easier to use, particularly at smaller businesses and anywhere off the beaten track, where people might not know the exchange rate or have easy access to a bank. Always keep at least 200 córdoba on you, preferably in smaller bills, just in case. And remember, even where people are happy to take your dollars, they may cheerfully charge you a fraction more by rounding that exchange rate up.
Credit cards
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted throughout Nicaragua – even at tiny little pulperías (corner stores) in the middle of nowhere – and you can almost always count on midrange hotels and restaurants to take them. In places where electricity is unreliable – for instance, most of the Caribbean Coast – credit cards may not be widely accepted, so be prepared.
Climate & when to go
Nicaragua has a range of microclimates, and it’s always worth checking the weather to see where you want to go first. On the Pacific side, invierno (winter), or rainy season, runs May to November, at its rainiest in September and October when sea turtles nest 3000-strong to a beach. Verano (summer), or dry season, is November to April, the best time for hiking, camping and partying, as it coincides with high tourist season (December to March), most pronounced along the Costa Rican border. As verano desiccates to a close, the Pacific forests lose their leaves and lake levels drop revealing sandy lake beaches that you’ll put to good use as temperatures soar from the normal high 20s into the mid-30s or worse.
And then there are the mountains, from the islands of cool cloud forests atop each volcano to the monolithic granite peaks of the central highlands, where the seasons become blurred in the chilly misty mornings, with temperatures between 12°C and 24°C. On the Atlantic side rainy and dry seasons are almost entirely academic, so check the weather; along the Río San Juan, one of the wettest places on earth, always pack a raincoat.
Fast Facts about Nicaragua
- Visa US$25 for citizens of 40 countries; US$7 entry (no visa needed) for everyone else
- Money córdoba; US dollar widely used
- Area 129,494 sq km (largest in Central America)
- Population 5,465,100 (least densely populated in Central America)
- Capital Managua
- Shoreline 1040km
- Phrases Nica (Nicaraguan guys and gals); vos (you); tuanis (right on)
- Country Code 505
- Number of Animal Species 1400
- Excerpt from
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/central-america
http://www.traveldocs.com/ni/vr.htm
REQUIREMENTS FOR U.S. CITIZENS TO OBTAIN VISA TO ENTER NICARAGUA
US citizens traveling for tourism or business for short stay do not need a visa for travel to this country. A valid U.S. Passport is required.
HOW TO INVEST IN NICARAGUA?
Call LUCI EDWARDS – CIPS (406)579-5013