In these days of mass, global over-tourism, a holiday to Nicaragua represents something of a journey back in time, a return to the days when one took for granted the joys of relaxing, hassle free travel.
With only slightly over one million tourist arrivals per year, all spread over the largest country in Central America (and with the region’s second lowest population density), whatever memories you take back from your Nicaragua holiday, crowds won’t be one of them.
Frequently referred to as the Land of Fire & Water, on account of its extensive coastlines, vast lakes and numerous, brooding volcanoes, such a binary description only touches on Nicaragua’s appeal as a genuine, all-round holiday destination.
This is a country with stunning countryside, picture postcard colonial towns, a rich, folkloric tradition and beautiful beaches, all within easy reach of each other.
At the heart of Nicaragua, both literally and metaphorically, is vast Cocibolca (aka Lake Nicaragua), the largest lake in Central America and a magnet for visitors to the country.
Home to thousands of tiny islands, it is also where one will find one of the highlights of any holiday to Nicaragua, Ometepe Island, with its twin, towering volcanoes, unspoiled countryside, mysterious petroglyphs and all-round Lost World vibe.
Ometepe Island may be one of Nicaragua’s most famous holiday destinations, but nature lovers will find that almost the entire country has something to offer, from jungle strewn rivers such as the Rio San Juan in the south, to cloud forest in the county’s northern highlands.
If it’s history and culture that you’re after, both Leon & Granada are famous for their beautiful, colonial architecture, countless churches and wonderful museums. They also act as great bases for exploring their local environs such as the Pueblos Blancos near Granada and the ruins of Old Leon.
For those who like to stay active on holiday, with perhaps a bit of soft adventure thrown in, Nicaragua is the ideal destination with options for hiking, cycling, kayaking, volcano boarding, paddleboarding and more.
After all this, many visitors choose to end their Nicaragua holiday with time relaxing at the beach.
In this respect, Nicaragua is blessed with very different, but equally appealing beach options on both its Caribbean & Pacific coastlines, especially around San Juan del Sur & the Emerald Coast.
Wherever your interests lie, and whatever your reasons for travel – a family holiday, honeymoon, birthday milestone – Beyond The Ordinary are specialists in tailor made Nicaragua holidays and we look forward to chatting through your individual plans and requirements.
Before then, and for some initial ideas and inspiration, why not check out our Itineraries page?
All our Nicaragua holidays are entirely flexible and can be tailor made to your precise requirements. The itineraries detailed here are therefore no more than ideas for you to tweak.
This 6 night city break to Granada provides clients with a variety of different experiences and is entirely flexible. You can add, remove and amend any aspect of the itinerary you wish, including the accommodation, to suit your exact requirements.
One Week In Nicaragua. While it is not possible to see all but a fraction of Nicaragua in a week, if that's all the time you have then this flexible 7 night itinerary will introduce you to some of its key highlights, including Leon, Granada & Apoyo Lagoon.
This 12 night / 13 day itinerary takes in the key highlights of Nicaragua including Managua, Leon, Masaya, Apoyo Lagoon, Granada, Ometepe Island and San Juan del Sur.
This sample 13 night / 14 day itinerary takes in many of the natural highlights of Nicaragua including Selva Negra, Juan Venado Reserve, Mombacho Volcano, the Isletas de Granada, Los Guatuzos, Indio Maiz and Apoyo Lagoon.
After a day in Managua, this two week itinerary starts and finishes with time relaxing on Nicaragua's beautiful beaches - first in the Caribbean before ending on the Pacific coast - with four days exploring in and around Granada in the middle.
With two very different coastlines, Nicaragua offers visitors the opportunity to spend time lazing in the tropical, Caribbean Corn Islands or the dramatic Pacific resorts of the Emerald Coast & San Juan del Sur.
We feature all of Nicaragua’s key holiday destinations and traveller highlights with the 6 detailed here being amongst the most visited or, in our opinion, the most worthy of being visited. Simply click on the link for information on all our featured destinations.
Beyond The Ordinary is very much a specialist tour operator, featuring just a handful of countries including Nicaragua. Having travelled right around the country, we have a detailed knowledge of its many and varied attractions and, together with our expert local partners, can help put together your perfect Nicaragua holiday itinerary.
We feature a wide variety of characterful and charming hotels right across Nicaragua from simple inns to luxury hotels. These are 6 of our favourite (non-beach) hotels in Nicaragua but there are many more that we can highly recommend and work with.
Nicaragua really is a year round holiday destination although some months are naturally better than others. November through April generally sees the best weather and lowest rainfall and is therefore considered High Season.
When making your travel arrangements, we understand just how important peace-of-mind is. Beyond The Ordinary hold both ATOL & ABTOT bonds so whether you book your flights through us, or independently, any money you pay us is 100% protected. More detailed information on Financial Protection can be found by clicking here.
Whichever of our featured countries you wish to visit, we've been there several times. So, if you're after something beyond the ordinary to Cuba, Nicaragua, Guatemala or the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, we'd love to hear from you.
