Discover Nicaragua - Picturesque colonial towns, brooding volcanoes, numerous and varied natural attractions plus magnificent beaches.
Discover our Nicaragua ItinerariesIn these days of mass, global over-tourism, a holiday to Nicaragua represents something of a journey back in time, a return to the days when one took for granted the joys of relaxing, hassle free travel. Every tailor made Nicaragua holiday we arrange is built entirely from scratch — your duration, your route, your pace and your choice of accommodation. Together with our outstanding local partner, there probably isn’t a combination of cities, countryside and coast that we can’t arrange to this friendly, laid back country that, in equal measure, surprises, thrills and charms anyone lucky enough to visit.
There is a whole lot to love about Nicaragua, one of the world’s great undiscovered travel gems, and nothing makes us happier than sharing our love and knowledge with other, prospective travellers. More than anything, Nicaragua offers a truly wonderful variety of attractions – picturesque colonial towns such as Granada, fiery Masaya volcano, whimsical Ometepe Island, wildlife rich Indio Maiz and, of course, the beautiful beaches of both the Corn Islands and Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast – but without the crowds.
Beyond The Ordinary arrange fully bonded, tailor made holidays and tours to Nicaragua. Contact one of our experts on 01580 764796, email travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk or contact us via our website.
Nicaragua is the newest of our featured holiday destinations but a country that I had wanted to visit since my backpacking days – an increasingly distant memory alas.
Often described by experienced travellers as the ‘new Cuba’ – partly because of its colourful political backstory, partly because of its storied Spanish colonial legacy and partly because of its combination of culture, countryside and beach – one of the most appealing aspects of any holiday to Nicaragua is that, well, so few other travellers have yet to discover it. Long may that continue.
In this often referenced era of mass, over-tourism, I’ve had the beaches of the Corn Islands largely to myself and been able to leisurely wander around the colonial towns of Granada & Leon without the risk of ever bumping into someone.
Call Jon on 01580 764796
Personal recommendations
The following are just a small selection of my favourite experiences in Nicaragua. Depending on your individual interests, there are many more that I can suggest and arrange as part of a private, tailor made tour of the island.
Hiring a bike and cycling around Big Corn island
Exploring the Rio Istian on Ometepe Island by kayak
Appreciating Central America’s finest modern art gallery
Visiting the varied and beautiful churches of Granada
Testing your need-for-speed with some volcano boarding
Peering into the fiery cauldron of Masaya volcano
Wildlife spotting in Indio Maiz Biosphere Reserve
Flopping out at beautiful Ojo de Agua on Ometepe Island
Visit the atmospheric ruins of Leon Viejo
Exploring and relaxing at the one-of-a-kind Morgan’s Rock hotel
The Nicaragua Specialists
All our Nicaragua holidays are entirely flexible and can be tailor made to your precise requirements. The itineraries detailed here are therefore no more than ideas for you to tweak, mix and match or use as inspiration for something entirely different.
This 6 night city break to Granada provides clients with a variety of different experiences and is entirely flexible. You can add, remove and amend any aspect of the itinerary you wish, including the accommodation, to suit your exact requirements.
While it is not possible to see all but a fraction of Nicaragua in a week, if that's all the time you have then this flexible 7 night itinerary will introduce you to some of its key highlights, including Leon, Granada & Apoyo Lagoon.
This 12 night / 13 day itinerary takes in the key highlights of Nicaragua including Managua, Leon, Masaya, Apoyo Lagoon, Granada, Ometepe Island and San Juan del Sur.
This sample 13 night / 14 day Nicaragua itinerary takes in many of the country's natural highlights including Selva Negra, Juan Venado Reserve, Mombacho Volcano, the Isletas de Granada, Los Guatuzos, Indio Maiz and Apoyo Lagoon.
After a day in Managua, this two week Nicaragua itinerary starts and finishes with time relaxing on the country's beautiful beaches - first in the Caribbean before ending on the Pacific coast - with four days exploring in and around Granada in the middle.
While our focus is very much on touring holidays of Nicaragua, with two very different coastlines visitors have the opportunity to extend their stay in Nicaragua with a bit of well deserved downtime by the beach: either in the tropical, Corn Islands of the Caribbean or the dramatic Pacific resorts of the Emerald Coast & San Juan del Sur.
We feature all of Nicaragua’s key holiday destinations and traveller highlights with those detailed here being amongst the most visited or, in our opinion, the most worthy of being visited. Simply click on the View All Destinations link for information on all our featured destinations in Nicaragua.
Colonial city with a youthful energy
Picturesque lake within a volcanic crater
Mystical & magical island within Lake Nicaragua
Home to Indio Maiz Biological Reserve
Picture postcard colonial town
Home to cloud forest and coffee
Beyond The Ordinary is very much a specialist tour operator, featuring just a handful of countries including Nicaragua. Having travelled right around the country, we have a detailed knowledge of its many and varied attractions and, together with our expert local partners, can help put together your perfect Nicaragua holiday itinerary.
We only feature 4 countries, all within the same region.
All holidays can be tailor made to clients’ requirements.
100% protection under our ATOL & ABTOT bonds.
We feature a wide variety of characterful and charming hotels right across Nicaragua from simple inns to luxury hotels. These are 6 of our favourite (non-beach) hotels in Nicaragua but there are many more that we can highly recommend and work with.
Talk to a specialist
Call Jon on 01580 764796 or email travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk.
No obligation. No automated response. Jon replies to every enquiry personally, usually the same day.
Delve into our Nicaragua Travel Guide featuring flights, transport, family and luxury holidays.
Useful information
Unless you have been to Nicaragua before, you’re bound to have a number of travel related questions. Fortunately, as specialists in tailor made Nicaragua holidays, we are well used to all manner of Nicaragua related questions. In this section we answer just some of the most commonly asked questions. Alternatively, please feel free to give us a call or drop us an email and we’ll be more than happy to answer all and any questions you may have.
British passport holders can visit Nicaragua for up to 90 days without a visa.
Passports must be valid for 6 months after the date of departure from Nicaragua and you may be asked for proof of onward travel.
Although no visa is required, you will need to pay for a tourist visa on arrival. This is currently US$10, payable in cash.
Please note that the vast majority of air travel from the UK to Nicaragua is via the US. For all travel via the US, including immediate, same day transit, British passport holders will require an ESTA or, in certain circumstances, a full US visa. Please check before booking.
Yes, travel to Nicaragua is very safe and Nicaraguans are very welcoming to tourists.
Yes, you can use US$ to make purchases right across Nicaragua and not just in tourist related businesses. Some visitors to the country will leave without ever having used the local currency!
The Nicaraguan currency is the Cordoba which is further divided into 100 cents.
However, in all the main destinations, prices in tourist orientated shops, restaurants etc will generally be quoted in US$ and, even where they are quoted in local currency, you can still pay in US$. Please note however that, even when you pay in US$, change will often be in Cordobas.
If you wish to buy local currency, only take US$, not Euros and certainly not £s.
ATMs can be found in the major towns and cities although it is still recommended to take a good amount of cash with you.
Beyond The Ordinary arrange private, tailor made tours of Nicaragua with all transport and guide services taken care of. For more independent travellers, it is also possible to hire a car or travel by tourist shuttle bus. To reach the Corn Islands, you will need to fly from Managua.
There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel to Nicaragua from the UK. If you are travelling to Nicaragua from a country at risk of Yellow Fever, you may have to provide proof of vaccination.
Well before travel, we suggest you speak to your local medical professional or, in the UK, visit the Travel Health Pro website for guidance.
In addition to general information on Nicaragua such as the key destinations to visit, the best places to stay, sample itineraries and much more, our Nicaragua Features section provides more detailed information on specific sites of interest and things to do.
Nicaragua really is a year round holiday destination although some months are naturally better than others. November through April generally sees the best weather and lowest rainfall and is therefore considered High Season.
When making your travel arrangements, we understand just how important peace-of-mind is. Beyond The Ordinary hold both ATOL & ABTOT bonds so whether you book your flights through us, or independently, any money you pay us is 100% protected. More detailed information on Financial Protection can be found by clicking here.
Whichever of our featured countries you wish to visit, we've been there several times. So, if you're after something beyond the ordinary to Cuba, Nicaragua, Guatemala or the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, we'd love to hear from you.
