Nicaragua Travel Guide

Visa regulations

Citizens of the following countries/territories can enter Nicaragua without a visa: Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, the Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, the Falkland Islands, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, the…

If you are entering Nicaragua by land, get rid of those Honduran lempiras and Costa Rican colones as they are hard to exchange away from the border. The national currency is called the córdoba oro (ISO code NIO, locally abbreviated as C$), known locally as peso, córdoba or vara, among other designations. Peace corps volunteers and expats sometimes say "cords" but Nicaraguans don't use that word.

Bus is definitely the main mode of travel in Nicaragua, and a great way to get to know the country's geography, people and even some culture (music, snack food, dress, manners). Most of the buses are old decommissioned yellow US school buses (though often fantastically repainted and redecorated). Expect these buses to be packed full, and your luggage (if large) may be stored at the back or on the top of the bus (along with bicycles and other large items). You'd better be quick or you may be standing most of the trip or sitting on a bag of beans. On most routes you can purchase your ticket a da…

Spanish is Nicaragua's official language. Do not expect to find much English spoken outside of the larger and more expensive hotels. Creole English (think Jamaican patois to get a first approximation) and indigenous languages are spoken along the Caribbean coast, and in the inland of the remote Bosawas national park (in the east of the country, thus the Caribbean in Managua parlance). Nicaraguans tend to leave out the s at the end of Spanish words, usually replacing it with an "h" sound ("j" in…

Nicaragua has made strides in terms of providing police presence and order throughout the country, and official crime rates are below the Central American average. However, since 2008, low-level gang violence has spread from Honduras and El Salvador. The National Nicaraguan Police has apprehended some gang members and reduced organized crime, but a major crime problem remains throughout the country.

According to the U.S. State Department's Consular Sheet for Nicaragua, the tap water in Managua is safe to drink, but bottled water with chlorine is always the best choice. The water in Esteli is especially good as it comes from deep wells. Bottled water is readily available, with a gallon at a supermarket around an American dollar.

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Embassies

See the article Managua for foreign embassies in the country.

Newspapers

While most of the TV channels are owned by Ortega, his family or the government, the newspaper scene is much more diverse and it is here that you are most likely to see criticism of the government. Most newspapers also have an online edition and they can keep you up to date with what's going on in Nicaragua and the rest of Central America. While both La Prensa and El Nuevo Diario are focused o…