General Information about Nicaragua
This page will provide you with some general Information which Hospedaje Soma put together for you. To get further information beyond this page please have a look in the links at the bottom or in one of the tourist guide books of this region.
Geography
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Nicaragua connects to Honduras in the north and to Costa Rica in the south. In the west you'll find the Pacific Ocean and in the east the Atlantic Ocean or Caribean Coast. The 130000 km² surface make it the biggest country in all of central america and the most populated in this area with 5,9 million inhabitants, of which 1,4 million live in the capital Managua.
Lake Managua (Xolotlán), Lake Nicaragua and the most important rivers, Río San Juan, Río Escondido, Río Grande and Río Coco, cover about 10% of the size of Nicaragua.
Nicaragua consists of 3 different Zones.
The Pacific Zone is plain and the most populated in the country, with a majority of mestizos living here. Here we find the 2 big lakes and with Managua, Granada and León the biggest cities.
The Atlantic Zone is very plain as well,sparseley populated and less developed with infrastructure than the pacific side. Mostly it's forest and jungle area. The biggest rivers of Nicaragua are also the most frequented transportation routes around here. This area is populated by the indigenous tribes of Miskitos, Ramas, Sumas and also Creoles and Garifuna on the coast line.
The central and northern highlands are the most productive area in Nicaragua. Due to its tempretuares and its landscape it's the best region to grow coffee in the country. Estelí is the national center of tobacco pruduction. People here also grow cacao and are famous in Nicaragua for their milk products. The highest point in the country (Cerro Mogotón) with 2150m above sea level can be found here.
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Climate
Nicaragua belongs to the tropical and subtropical regions of this planet. In most parts of the country the dry season is from December to April, only the Caribbean part has still rainfalls in this time of the year. The average tempretuares on the coast are around 24 to 32 degrees Celsius. In the Highlands the average is around 20 degrees Celsius.
Tourism - Hiking, Climbing, Beach
In Nicaragua we find about 40 volcanic craters of which,Volc´n Masaya, Concepción, Momotombo, San Cristóbal, Telica, Cosigüina, Cerro Negro, still remain active. This volcanos are usually free to access, to take a hike and climb up the crater or swim in one of the lagoons.
About 16000 different species of liveforms can be found in Nicaragua, of which around 180 are mammals, 700 species of birds and about 170 reptiles. With a bit of luck you can spot most of them in one of the many public and private nature reserves and national parks all over Nicaragua.
Beside climbing volcanos and hiking, tourism in Nicaragua is dedicated to surfing and hanging out on the beaches. Even though Nicaraguans have a very special slang, the low living costs compared with other countries, make it very recommendable for long term stays to study spanish.
The main tourist spots on the pacicfic side are San Juan del Sur, Granada, Isla de Ometepe, Masaya and León. In the north it's Estelí and Matagalpa and in the Caribbean Laguna de Perlas and of course the Corn Islands. Río San Juan connects Lake Nicaragua with the Caribbean and has touristic infrastrcture in some parts.
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Banks
The oficial currency is Córdoba, but US Dollars are widely accepted. They can be changed on the street, but it's recommendable to check the rate before in the newspaper. Costa Rican Colones and Euros are usually not accepted. You can change Colones on the border to Costa Rica, but not in Banks inside the country. BanCentro changes Euros, but you'll get less than the oficial rate. The most used and in rural areas recommended credit card is Visa. Masters and Diners are not accepted everywhere. EC Cards (Maestro) can be used with ATM's of Banco de America Central (BAC). As of our experience we recommend not to bring traveller checks.They are very hardly accepted and if, you'll get charged a lot for cashing them.
Wikipedia about Nicaragua
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