Travel advice for Nicaragua
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Nicaragua
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Petty theft can be a problem – keep an eye on your bags and pockets, especially on buses. Muggings have occurred in tourist stretches like the beaches of San Juan del Sur and at day-trip destinations around Granada – your accommodation should be able to advise you, and cabs are plentiful. Larger hotels will have safes where you can leave valuables. Wherever you are, women should be wary of going out alone at night, though the chief threat is being harassed by groups of drunken men.
The police in Nicaragua are generally reliable, but watch out for the traffic police (policia de tránsito), who are infamous for targeting foreigners and who will take any chance to threaten you with a fine (multa) in the hope that you’ll pay them off. Often even ordinary police officers will try stopping you, but if they are not traffic police, they can’t fine you, so stand your ground. To report a crime you must go to the nearest police station. If you need a police report for an insurance claim, the police will ask you to fill out a denuncia – a full report of the incident. If the police station does not have the denuncia forms, ask for a constancia, a simpler form, signed and stamped by the police. This should be sufficient for an insurance claim.
Visitors to Nicaragua should in theory carry their passports on them at all times, though checks are rare and a photocopy is usually acceptable.
hechomagazine.com Snazzy site that’s useful for news on nightlife and culture, with a Managua focus.
nicaliving.com Expat forum with some useful travel tips and news.
nicaraguadispatch.com Respected English-language journalism and editorial on all things Nica.
rightsideguide.com Good for information on the Caribbean coast.
vianica.com General information on sights and travel.
visit-nicaragua.com INTUR’s tourism promotions site, with general information on tourist attractions, cultural activities and amenities.
For unlimited Wi-Fi on the go whilst travelling Nicaragua, buy a Skyroam Solis, which works in 130+ countries at one flat daily rate, paid for on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can connect up to five devices at once. Prices start from as little as €5 a day.
Banks are usually open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm; many are also open on Saturday mornings until noon. Most will change US dollars, and some change euros, and colones (from Costa Rica) but no other currency. Moneychangers (coyotes) operate in the street, usually at the town market, and are generally reliable – though it helps to have an idea of what you expect to get back before approaching them.
Travellers’ cheques are only changed by the Banco de América Central (BAC) – even here you’ll struggle with anything but US-dollar cheques – and they’re probably not worth bothering with. Credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard and Amex are generally accepted in more expensive hotels and restaurants and can also be used to pay for car rental, flights and tours. BAC, Bancentro, Banco ProCredit and Banpro’s ATMs all accept foreign-issue cards, and in most reasonable-sized towns you will find at least one of these, distributing cash in dollars or córdobas. That said, you can’t rely on ATMs alone and, especially out of the major centres, you’ll have little alternative but to carry a decent amount of cash. There are currently no ATMs on Little Corn Island or Solentiname, or in Pearl Lagoon or San Juan de Nicaragua.
Jan 1 New Year’s Day
Easter week Semana Santa
May 1 Labour Day
May 30 Mother’s Day
July 19 Anniversary of the Revolution
Sept 14 Battle of San Jacinto
Sept 15 Independence Day
Nov 2 All Souls’ Day (Día de los Muertos)
Dec 7 & 8 Inmaculada Concepción
Dec 25 Christmas
If you decide not to bring your own phone, you could buy a mobile phone for as little as US$15; Movistar (movistar.com) and Claro (claro.com.ni) have pay-as-you-go packages. Both have an outlet in the airport.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Nicaragua
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