Nothing but Nicaragua — Someday Sherpa

It took me a long time to be able to say Nicaragua. Don't ask me why - it's just one of those words I continued to stumble on.

But it didn't take me long to say that I love this country. The Caribbean Sea on one side, Pacific Ocean on the other and dotted with volcanoes and jungles sandwiched in between.

Super cheap on the back pocket, delicious food everywhere you turn and friendly 'Nica' people completely enhanced the experience for us.

From the moment we entered Nicaragua we were entertained. At the border, we witnessed a category 5 meltdown by a tragic all-American couple (more on that later), chicken bus travel took 'in your face personal space' to new levels and not to be outdone, nature gave us quite the show by throwing us Hurricane Otto, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake and tsunami warning all within 24hrs.

It didn't stop there. We surfed, we got our yoga on and hung-10 at the beaches. Sherpa has continued his new found passion for surfing and has taken to calling himself The Wave. He thinks it's catching on. It's not.

With all the Oms and waves, I feel refreshed and invigorated. Nicaragua and I were totally in tune.

Here's our Nic-ar-ag-uah hotspots:

Leon
Granada
Laguna Apoyo
Ometepe Island
San Juan del Sur

What we missed:

The Corn Islands. Dangling off the Caribbean coast are The Corn Islands, a diver's paradise. A day of bus rides and a ferry that only departs unreliable once a week put this little gem out of reach for us.

LEON

Itsie weenie tiny town with cathedrals, markets and a quaint art gallery. It's also home to volcano boarding - but more on that here.

A major highlight for us was the street food. The best damn BBQ street food we've had on our trip. Unmissable.

DO

Volcano boarding with Bigfoot Hostel, US$35pp and is loads of fun. Plus you'll get a free beer, cookie and mojito to celebrate your achievement. See our post.
Take yourself on a walking tour of the tiny city
View the city from the top of Leon Cathedral - so white, so bright. Seriously, your eyes will burn for just US$1.
Visit the Museo de Arte Fundacion Ortiz-Guardian gallery is known as one of Central Americas best. It houses works from well known artists such as Picasso and features works from Central American artists to get a true local appreciation US$2 (voluntary payment)
Go crazy at Las Peñitas beach party. US$3 return transport arranged through Get Up Stand Up surf shop across the road from Bigfoot hotel. Bring your best beer pong skills.

EAT & DRINK

Drool alert: the local markets opposite the white Leon cathedral feature fruit during the day and the BEST BBQ food when the sun goes down. Super cheap too.
Pan and Paz bakery - carb loading central.
Paz de Lima: great crepes and salads
El Bodegon: one of the town's best restaurants with a Cuban flair - try the mojitos
Kiss Me: delicious ice cream in handmade cones. Located on the backpackers strip opposite Bigfoot Hostel
Piñata: tasty breakfast bowls and smoothies

Bars:

La Olla Quemada: salsa on Thursday nights
El Mirador: good vibe and drinks
El Padrino: live music

SLEEP

Hostal Guardabarranco is on backpacker alley across the road from Bigfoot where you can book everything. Cheap, no vibe but we only slept there. Has a kitchen so you can hit the local markets and save some dosh
Other considerations would be Via Via which is on the same strip of road as Hostal Gaurdabarranco and Bigfoot.

GRANADA

Granada glory

Burnt to the ground in 1685, by pirate Francis William Dampier, the only thing that remained of Granada was a sign 'here was Granada'.

Since then, it has been restored to all its glory making it a beautiful place to wander and take in its colonial charm.

Working horses still clip clip down the streets, the park plaza is a hub of community activity with kids you want to cuddle for days and if you like your churches, just look up, you won't be disappointed.

DO

Wander the town, it's tiny. Sunset is the best time as the light softens for pretty pictures and it's not so hot.
Climb the bell tower - Torre de la Merced just before twilight for views over the city $1.
Hit Pure if you're in need of a bit of pampering: manicure, pedicure, massage and packages. www.purenica.com
Gawk at buskers, families and life at the main plaza.

EAT & DRINK

Garden Cafe is just gorgeous with a menu that reminded me of home. Great option for breakfast and their coffee is really good.
Cafe de las Sueños for gigantic fresh salads and a tasty variety of smoothies. It's got a cute garden setting.
Love the fresh juices and hanging with other travellers at En Boca de Boca Hostel
Nectar is great for dinner and has daily specials to help keep you under budget.
Street food at the main Plaza. Cheap and tasty. Don't be scared.

SLEEP

Hostel En Boca de Boca is my top pick but it was full so we couldn't get in. Beautiful garden, chilled out vibe and nice bar with fresh juices and more.
Hostel El Momento my second pick but again we couldn't get in.
We stayed at Hamakas Hostal. Cheapest in town for a reason $30 per night. No atmosphere but they had a kitchen and decent location.

OUT OF TOWN

Outside of Granada: Treehouse Nicaragua for parties on Wed, Thurs, Fri and Saturday nights.

LAKE APOYO

Fact: volcano crater lakes make sensational spots to swim. Nature has created these amazing, gigantic pools that are warm, crystal clear and dwarfs you with the towering crater rim.

I'm so glad we took time out at Lago Apoyo. Many do it as an easy day trip from Granada (30mins away) but the real magic happens early morning.

Wake to howler monkeys calling out and playing in the trees as the sun rises over the lake. You'll have the place to yourselves early morning and late at night.

Sherpa and I took the opportunity to do a mini triathlon: 4km run, 600m swim and 30min stand up paddle board. Quite a treat to squeeze that in.

DO

Kayak, stand up paddle board, float in a tube or swim out and laze on the private jetty.
Go for a walk or run on the road that runs around the lake. Go early to avoid the chicken buses that whiz around corners, but mainly to spot more monkeys.

EAT & DRINK

Paradiso Hostel has a great restaurant and bar that is reasonably priced. You won't want to leave.

SLEEP

Paradiso Hostel was awarded 2016 'Nicaragua Hostel of the Year' by HostelWorld. Situated on the lake it has its own private beach, jetty and a really great vibe. For guests, you have free use of kayaks and tubes to float in.

Others to consider: Seguinos or The Peace Project Hostel

Lake Apoyo, a volcano crater lake was absolute perfection #sup

OMETEPE

Did you ever wonder if real hippies still exist? They do, basing themselves on Ometepe, a relatively big island in the heart of Nicaragua's largest lake, Laguna de Nicaragua.

I'm not talking about hipsters with on-trend beards and latte lifestyles.

I'm talking genuine, peace, love and au naturel way of life. I've seen more hair spraying out of underarm pits than Chewbacca could have wished for.

This is an island where beards roam free and the 'dirty' look is the only way of life. It's fair to say that Bondi and Byron Bay have a lot to learn from these originals.

That said, there's a reason people flock here. It's laid back, has a big focus on organic, is shadowed by two climbable volcanos along with waterfalls and natural pools to play in. It's a nature lovers escape that's well worth a visit.

DO

Hire bikes and cruise the island at your pace.
Swim at Playa Santo Domingo
Hike a volcano or two. Maderas is 8 hours, Concepcion is 10 hours. You've been warned!
Visit the 'natural' pools Ojo de Agua which are sadly more man-made than natural these days.
Hike to San Ramon waterfalls. 2 hour bike ride from Balgue then a one hour hike to the falls. Then back. Don't take a scooter as the road is so bad you'll need a quad bike.

EAT & DRINK

Island highlight was Cafe Campestre for the most wonderful organic, fresh with a capital F food. The best we've had in a looooong time. A place you could eat every meal at.
Around Playa San Domingo, grab some wholesome, natural vegetarian food from restaurant Natural. Delicious smoothies and hearty meals.
We made our own breakfasts by grabbing supplies from the tiny mini marts. There's enouugh to get you by. Just.
Zopilote cafe for organic food made with love. Bit too Hippy-ish for Sherpa

SLEEP

It's important to decide which part of the island to stay in. Balgue and Santa Cruz make excellent options away from the hustle and bustle of the port city.

The Lazy Crab[🦀] was fabulous. It's a reggae style Hostel with beautiful mural paintings adorning every inch of the holding. There are chillout areas and it attracts a cool crowd. It's rustic but comfortable and has its own basic kitchen that you can use.
Other spots we found that we're nice: Los Chocoyos and Hostal Zopilote
If you must stay at the port of Moyogalpa, The Landing Hostal is cheap.

SAN JUAN DEL SUR

They say to head to San Juan del Sur, a coastal hotspot if you just wanna surf and get pissed. Sick bro.

My mission is to see how much badass San Juan has to offer other than parties and piss ups. As it turns out, this place comes up trumps. We came for 2 days and stayed a week.

Oh San Juan, you sweet little thang. Thank you for showing me your soft side. Sadly for you, I'm going to kiss and tell.

DO

Yoga at ZEN. This is the best yoga I've done in Central America. A beautiful open air studio but is made even greater by the brilliant teachers. They're super qualified, reflect the laid back nature of San Juan del Sur and will get you working up a sweat. I loved that they played music during the classes. US$10 for a drop in class or discounts for 5 or 10 class passes.
Surf lessons and board hire with Arena Caliente US$25. Loved, loved, loved our instructors and I was standing up first wave.
Hit the gym, Fight Club. They run Bootcamp's Mon, Wed and Fri at 8am if you need an hour of extra motivation. Drop ins welcome at C$100 or C$300 for a week pass.
Beach hop. Beaches to the south, beaches to the north. Endless options!

EAT & DRINK

Barrio Cafe has a well rounded menu, good coffee and great tunes. Naughty but try the ice coffee with Nutella. Holy shit!
Cerveceria for craft beer brewed onsite and BIG tasty meals. It is pricey but has a great vibe.
Taco Stop (not to be confused with inferior Taco Spot) I think this place is overrated.
Buddhas Garden raw food movement!!!! It's within Zen Yoga so perfect for a smoothie post yoga class. Try the zucchini pasta for a carb free dinner!
Simon Says for smoothies and seriously good salads. It has a beautiful garden out the back. It's only open during the day.
El Gato Negro - organic cafe afternoon for daytime only. It has a huge bookstore.
El Pollito for nice grilled chicken at decent prices and a nice courtyard setting.
The best place to satisfy your tummy at night is the street food opposite Cerveceria. C$130 for a gigantic plate of grilled chicken, salad and rice. So good we went there twice.
El Bocadito for tapas. Date night place as a bit pricey.
Loose Moose for Canadian style grub
Nachos Libres bar & restaurant big burgers nom, nom, nom
Ice cream at Eskimo ice creamery - oh my!

Bars

See the sunset at Iguana Bar down by the beach.
Cerveceria for their craft beers. Try the Sandbar, an Amber-style brew that hits the spot
Dale Pues bar
Corte Maltese above Hotel Dulce Vita. Cocktail bar

SLEEP

Sueños del mar was our base. Quite yet with a great crowd. A decent kitchen and big private rooms for only $20 per night.
Hola Ola Hostel looks like a good, more upmarket alternative.
Casa Romano was also recommended at $20 for a private room

OUTTA TOWN

Welcome to the coast. There are loads of beaches to explore. Beach-hopping is a thing. We opted to make San Juan del Sur our base as 3 months on the road takes its toll.

Maderas Beach