Sabbaticals & Experiential Holidays in Nicaragua
Known as the ‘land of lakes and volcanoes’, Nicaragua offers travellers a unique experience of relatively untouched natural landscapes. It’s comparable to neighbouring Costa Rica in its diverse natural beauty, yet visited by far fewer tourists. As a result, travelling here feels like an extraordinary, off-the-beaten-track discovery. Most famous are its volcanoes, some dormant, some active. You can easily climb the smaller ones, or drive up to the top to see red-hot lava and plumes of white smoke. The country is fringed by both the Pacific swells and placid crystalline Caribbean, so surfing and snorkelling are both popular activities.
Lake Nicaragua is Central America’s largest lake, a 100-mile freshwater stretch inhabited by bull sharks. The Bosawas Biosphere Reserve covers 2 million acres — 15% of the country — a dense swathe of virgin rainforest where pumas roam and 3-toed sloths hang. City wise, charming Granada is a colonial gem, with colourful houses, leafy plazas and a Spanish feel. University town Leon is considered the cultural centre of the country and feels like a living museum thanks to its revolutionary murals and crumbling 300-year-old mansions. And finally the idyllic white-sand beaches. With very little tourist infrastructure, the palm-fringed Corn Islands, lapped by the azure Caribbean sea, are a castaway dream.