Nicaragua Might Be the Next Big Thing in Central America

Nicaragua is famous for its colonial cities, including Granada, the oldest colonial city in Central America. Visits to this Central American country, which is just north of Costa Rica, were up nearly 19 per cent last year, tourism officials told a gathering in Toronto on Wednesday night. Some 1.8 million tourists visited in 2017. You'll also find an abundance of lakes, amazing nature, waterfalls and some 50 volcanoes, a few of them active.

Nicaragua is well-knnwn for its colourful dancers and culture. "It's one of the safest countries in Central America," said Marlon Moreno, a Toronto-based publisher and business leader who was born in Nicaragua and headed up the Toronto information session for trade representatives and media types. Several major magazines, including Travel + Leisure, have written feature stories about the country in the past few months.

Nicaragua has luxury resorts and also all-inclusive packages from hotels such as Barcelo. It's become quite well-known for its eco-tourism offerings, as well. A Toronto gathering was told that Princess Eugenie of the British royal family recently became engaged on a Nicaragua Island (Calala Island) that can be rented for a week for seven people for a mere million dollars. Of course, there are more than a few cheaper options.

Transat flies directly to Managua, Nicaragua from both Toronto and Montreal, said Brenda McInerney, product director for Transat. It's a little more than five hours, which is roughly the same as Barbados. Nicaragua Tourism spokesperson Marlon Moreno of Toronto said the Bosawas Biosphere Reserve covers roughly 15 per cent of the country's land mass. The reserve features thick forests and beautiful waterfalls.

Costa Rica is better known, but Nicaragua has terrific surfing and many lovely beaches. You'll also find several small islands off the coast, including Corn Island. Cruise traffic is up substantially the last few years as major cruise lines discover the beauty and affordability of this Central American country. Food tends to be more on the hearty than sophisticated side. Stop at a food stall and order up grilled meat with deep-fried cheese, Nicaraguan cole slaw, rice and beans and perhaps fried plantains.

Nicaragua is famous for its colourful wildlife. It's also a center for growing coffee beans and deeply flavoured, rich chocolate. The government is spending $150 million to improve roads on the Pacific coast, tourism officials say. Activities abound for adventurous travellers, including zip lining, hiking, surfing, bird-watching and even sliding down an active volcano on a toboggan. In some small villages you still find milk being delivered with the help of horse power and vendors with fruits stacked on heaping platters that rest on their heads.