I will not be able to write a very detailed article for Nicaragua, where I could only stay for 6 days due to visa problem.. Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua have an agreement among themselves. You can stay in these 4 countries for a maximum of 90 days in total.. Since I passed 100 days until I went to Nicaragua, they only gave a 5 night visa at the entrance to Nicaragua.. They said if you go to Costa Rica and come back, you can stay for 90 days again.. Entry fee to the country is between 10-15 USD. Even though I went to the Nicaraguan police and consulate and explained the situation, I got the answer that it would not disappear, you should leave the country and enter again.. I said I wouldn’t come again if I leave, so I quickly wandered around in 6 days and went to Costa Rica.
Nicaragua is also similar to Central American countries in general.. The prices are affordable, I can even say cheap.. People are friendly, they are interested when you ask something. There are natural beauties and the pacific coast to visit. They said it’s not good for the Caribbean beach, I didn’t go, I didn’t see it. The worst part of the country is there are too many beggars and street children. You cannot walk comfortably on the streets, especially in places to visit and see, and you cannot eat comfortably even in an ordinary restaurant.. Either a beggar is coming, a street child or a seller who insists on selling something.. Other than this issue, I haven’t come across anything negative.. It is not referred to as a dangerous country like Honduras and El Salvador.. Since it is so safe, you can see American tourists everywhere.. USD is valid in many places and even the menus are in USD.
My route from Honduras to Costa Rica was as follows;
1- Leon
I came to Leon city by direct bus from Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Bus ticket 22 USD. Entry fee 15 USD. They collect this fee while in the bus. Normally, the entrance fee is 10 USD, but probably because the bus company and the border people are in agreement, they charge an extra 5 USD from each person and make no money.. There are sim card sellers for Nicaragua at the border. You can get a chip and internet package for a total of 3-4 USD from there.
Leon is a quiet, safe, touristic place with many hotels and hostels, close to the beaches on the Pacific coast.. It was extremely hot in August when I went.. And actually they were saying it’s not so hot right now. Anyway, I settled in a hostel for 5 USD.. Even though it was hard to sleep at night because there was no air conditioning, I managed for two days.
Houses in Leon are usually single storey and everything is gathered around the central square.. If you love the sea, you can go to the pacific side beaches in just one hour.. Eating and drinking is very cheap and the nightlife is just as active.. If you stay in a hostel in the center (all I saw were in the centre) you can walk everywhere. If you happen to be in Nicaragua, I say stop by Leon for at least 2 days.
From here I went to the capital Managua. The bus ticket is $3.
2- Managua
The capital is not very touristy. If you need shopping, you can see your needs from 1-2 shopping malls in the city.. Especially if you are going to go to an expensive country like Costa Rica, I would say get everything you need from Nicaragua.. Actually, foreigners don’t usually visit the capital.. I just spent one day here and went on my way. Likewise, everywhere is full of street children and beggars.. There’s a street with bars, you can hang out for fun. Another detail is that I have never seen another place where prostitution is so common in Central America.
I took the bus to Granada for 1 USD.
3- Granada
Probably the most touristic place in Nicaragua. If you’ve been to Antigua/Guatemala before, this place is like a replica of the same place.. Again, there are single-storey houses, stone pavements and a volcanic mountain around.. The most important place I have seen is Volkan Masaya. Luckily I couldn’t go because it was raining. Actually, I didn’t want to go a bit because I’ve been to so many volcanic mountains before, I said that’s enough for now.
There are beautiful old houses in this city and those houses It also has full photo doors.. It seemed to me a bit like a place famous for it.. I stayed in a hostel here for 6 USD. Everywhere is full of American tourists. Even the menus in restaurants are in USD.. It’s not cheap in that type of restaurants anyway.. Continue to eat at local places in the back streets for 2-3 USD.. For coffee, you can choose the main streets.
Although there are places to visit in Nicaragua I didn’t want to stay here because the countries in Central America are all alike anymore.. ‘Cause you’re changing countries but there’s no new culture. When the buildings were the same and the food was almost the same, I went straight to Liberia, Costa Rica.. Ticket 30 USD. The exit fee from Nicaragua is $5.
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