Nicaragua: Land of Lakes and Volcanoes

[Nicholas Kontis]

Nicaragua is a young, multicultural country with an ancient landscape. Over the last century, it has been racked with dictatorship and revolution, but now it is emerging from the turmoil and is poised to share its distinctive natural features with visitors. Straddling Central America from the Atlantic to the Pacific, Nicaragua has jungle and rainforest, volcanoes topped with cloud forests, enormous lakes and miles of golden ocean beaches. From eco-exploration to mountain hiking to world-class surfing, Nicaragua is an adventure seeker’s dream.

Most of the population lives along the Pacific side where a chain of 27 volcanoes runs the length of the country. Some are active, spewing rock and ash at their whim like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. Others are dormant, hovering above the landscape like a benevolent protector.  The active Masaya Volcano is one that is a must see. You can drive right to the lip of the crater and look over the edge into “the entrance to Hell,” where a cylindrical pit is filled with a swirling fog of gases from deep within the earth.

Until the 16^th century, human sacrifices were offered by the indigenous people to appease the witches they believed lived in the crater. Children and virgins were ceremoniously thrown from a cliff high above the crater until a priest converted the tribes and erected a huge cross at the top of the cliff. Masaya is so active that you are instructed to park facing the exit, in case a sudden eruption spews rocks and you need a quick escape.

Nearby are the bat caves where the tribe’s Shaman traditionally decreed who would be the next sacrifice. Today, the only residents are thousands of bats. A park guide will escort the brave 150 meters underground where flashlights are doused and the bats become active. Standing in the pitch black, you hear the crescendo of the twittering rise as they leave their perches and begin to fly around the domed chamber. When the flashlights go back on, the sight of a colony of black bats flitting among the stalactites just above your head will surely make your heart pump a bit faster!

Lake Nicaragua is a vast 8265 km² fresh water lake that is dotted with volcanic islands and islets. Ometepe, the largest island in the lake, is composed of two imposing volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas. The whole island is a biosphere reserve and offers beautiful beaches for swimming and kayaking, volcano trails for hiking and biking, and museums for archeology and history. Another tourist draw of the lake is the Granada Islets, a group of 365 islets formed by volcanic activity from the Mombacho Volcano. The islets range in size from just a clump of vegetation to large enough for a vacation home, small hotel or restaurant. The Jicaro Island Ecolodge is a fabulous upscale romantic retreat with just nine private casitas where you can enjoy lake activities, yoga and massage or just relax in luxury.

Nicaraguans, or Nicos, love their festivals. You can find a celebration almost every week of the year! Traditional cultural expressions from the mix of indigenous societies celebrate their legacies with song, dance and food. Speaking of food, visitors will relish the freshest seafood, melt in your mouth tender beef and a huge array of tropical fruits, along with traditional rice and beans. World-renowned Nicaraguan coffee is grown in the northern highlands and a farm tour is worth the excursion.

The Pan American Highway runs the length of Nicaragua, but the majority of rural roads are unpaved and quite rough. With few road signs and the challenges of road conditions, hiring a driver or at least a four wheel drive vehicle for self-drive is strongly recommended. Tourism is in its infancy, but growing, giving the visitor a truly authentic experience unfettered by kitsch. Nicaragua is an adventurer’s delight, full of natural beauty and warm, friendly people. English is widely understood and I got along easily with only rudimentary Spanish skills.

If you are looking for a genuine cultural experience surrounded by natural beauty, look no further than the land of lakes and volcanoes. Let Covington’s expert advisors introduce you to Nicaragua for your next vacation.

Source: http://travelmaestro.covingtontravel.com/

 

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