Wedge-shaped Nicaragua may be the largest country in
Central America, but it is also one of the least visited. Even
after more than a decade of peace, Nicaragua is synonymous in the
minds of many with civil war; this reputation, when coupled with
the dilapidated infrastructure of a country that has fought its way
not only through a bloody conflict but also an American economic
blockade, scares many off. Still, many travellers who spend any
time there find - much to their surprise - that Nicaragua is their
favourite country in the isthmus. Perhaps because it doesn't yet
fully cater for the tourist experience, Nicaragua is an
incorrigibly vibrant and individualistic country, with plenty to
offer travellers prepared to brave Nicaragua's superficial
obstacles of economic chaos, cracked pavements and crammed public
transport.
Cuba aside, Nicaragua is unique in Latin America in having
pulled off a bona fide revolution of the people. The
revolution of 1978-79 and the civil war that followed in the
1980s, while ravaging the country, has also given it one of the
most dramatic of recent histories. At times it seems that every
Nicaraguan has both horrifying and uplifting personal stories to
tell. And even though Nicaragua's long-suffering people would
rather forget many aspects of the war, the country's political past
continues to inform every minute of its present.
During the 1980s Nicaragua was the destination of choice in
Central America for young, socialist-minded
internacionalistas - foreign volunteer workers who came to
the country to aid the Revolution by working in the education and
health sectors. From 1996 onwards, the Alemán government
discontinued many of the programmes that brought the
internacionalistas to Nicaragua and tourism slumped, which
was bad news for the country's hotel owners and tour operators.
Recent years, however, have seen tourist numbers increase as part
of the general upturn in interest in Central America.
In comparison with the Maya ruins of Guatemala or the national
parks of Costa Rica, Nicaragua offers few traditional tourist
attractions - almost no monuments or ancient temples remain, and
earthquakes, revolution and war have laid waste to museums,
galleries and theatres. For years the country has suffered from a
chronic lack of funding, and high inflation and unemployment have
also impoverished Nicaragua's infrastructure. However, no one
visits Nicaragua and remains immune to the country's extraordinary
landscape of volcanoes (17 in all), lakes,
mountains and vast plains of rainforest . A smattering
of beaches - the majority of them on the Pacific Coast -
continues to attract the budget surfing and backpacking
crowd, while culture and the arts are very much alive in
Nicaragua, and it is here you can buy some of the best-value
high-quality crafts in the isthmus.
More than anything, though, the pleasures and rewards of
travelling in Nicaragua come from interacting with the inhabitants
of the country's complex society. Its people are
well-spoken, passionate, engaged and engaging - Nicaraguans tend to
be witty and exceptionally hospitable. The best thing you can do to
enjoy Nicaragua is to arrive with an open mind, some patience and a
willingness to practise your Spanish.