Classic Nicaragua

Day 1 — Managua

You will be met at Managua airport and transferred the short distance to your overnight hotel in the city.

Day 2 — Managua to Leon

After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, you will be collected at approximately 09.00 for a half day tour of Nicaragua’s capital city.

Included in this tour will be visits to the Loma de Tiscapa National Historical Park, the city’s old Cathedral and the National Palace of Culture. The tour will end at Salvador Allende Port where there will be an opportunity for an early lunch before you depart the city.

From Managua, it is then an approximate 2-hour drive to Leon. Having checked in at your hotel, the rest of the afternoon is free for you to relax or have a little wonder on your own, perhaps to the old home of Ruben Dario, Nicaragua’s national poet.

Day 3 — Leon

After breakfast, you will set off on a walking tour of Leon’s compact city centre with your English speaking guide. Highlight of the tour is definitely the city’s magnificent, UNESCO World Heritage listed cathedral.

Having returned to your hotel and a break for lunch, the remainder of the afternoon is free for you to either relax at the hotel or further explore on your own.

If you opt for the latter, our strong recommendation would be to visit the world-class Ortiz Gurdian contemporary art gallery which is located just 100 metres from Hotel El Convento. Even if modern art isn’t your thing, it’s worth visiting simply for the setting.

Day 4 — Leon (Morning trip out)

After an early breakfast, at approximately 08.00, your guide will collect you from your hotel for the approximate 30-minute drive to Las Penitas beach on the Pacific coast.

From here, you will board your motor boat for an approximate 3 hour tour of the Juan Venado Island Nature Reserve and its nature-rich mangroves. Depending on timings and your personal preferences, there may even be time for a quick, refreshing dip in the sea.

You will then return to Leon in time for lunch. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 5 — Leon to Apoyo Lagoon with multiple stops

Having checked out of your hotel, you will be collected by your guide at approximately 08.30 for the 30 minute drive to Old Leon.

The original site of Leon was largely destroyed by a series of earthquakes and a resulting volcano in 1610, ultimately leading to its residents deciding to relocate the city to its current site shortly after.

Exploring the ruins of Leon Viejo takes no more than an hour and, although this is no Pompei, it is still an atmospheric and fascinating site which your guide will be on hand to explain all about.

From Leon Viejo, it is a further 2 hour plus drive to the famous Masaya volcano, very much still active, and where (subject to its status at the time of your visit) it is possible to peer into the very depths of hell.  Or very hot lava at least.

From the volcano you head the short distance to the charming town of Masaya where, after a wander around the attractive handicraft market, there will be a break for lunch.

Last up today, you will wind your way through the famous Pueblos Blancos to the village of Catarina, and its popular lookout point boasting stunning views directly over Apoyo Lagoon and, on a clear day to distant Granada and Lake Nicaragua.

From Catarina village it is just a short drive to your nearby hotel on Apoyo Lagoon.

Day 6 — Apoyo Lagoon

Today is free for you to relax, have a swim in the lake and enjoy a good book.

Day 7 — Apoyo Lagoon to Granada

You will be collected from your hotel at around 08.30 for the thirty minute transfer to Granada.

Having dropped off your bags at the hotel, you will then proceed on a walking tour of town with your guide.

One of the most picturesque towns in Latin America, colonial era Granada is laid out in a traditional grid style, with the leafy Parque Central and grand Cathedral both at its heart.

No matter which way you turn in Granada, you will find yourself wandering along streets lined with charming, brightly painted buildings and, for the most part, just a spattering of traffic. Dotted around town there are also a number of beautiful churches, each different to the other and, at two of these churches, there is the opportunity to ascend the tower for panoramic views over the town’s tiled rooftops.

Your guide can provide recommendations as to the best options for lunch, after which the afternoon is free for you to relax at your hotel and / or explore further Granada on your own. Your guide can also provide expert tips and ideas on the best places to visit. Our personal recommendation would be the excellent Museo San Francisco.

Day 8 — Granada (Trips out)

After another leisurely breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel for the 30-minute drive to Mombacho Volcano.

Your transfer vehicle can make it roughly half way up the side of the volcano but, to get to the very top, you will need to switch to a 4×4 or even a specially converted, open-top truck.

Once you reach the top of the volcano, your guide will lead you on an approximate 1-hour trail that makes it way around the top of the crater as well as deviating off to enjoy spectacular views back towards Granada and Lake Nicaragua. If you would prefer something more arduous, there are also trails that take anything 2 to 4 hours.

At the culmination of the trail, you will enjoy a brief, guided tour of the coffee plantation that sits astride the volcano, before returning to Granada in time for lunch and a break.

At around 3pm you will again be collected from the hotel for another short transfer, no more than 15 minutes, to a small dock on the lake.

From here, you will set off on a roughly 2 hour private boat tour of the wonderfully picturesque Isletas de Granada of which there are said to be exactly 365. Some of these islands have been occupied by local communities for many hundreds of years, others are home to wealthy outsiders with their luxury homes while others are unoccupied save for a wide variety of birds and even bats.

One of the islands, which you will be able to get out of the boat and visit, is even home to the tiny, 17th century San Pablo fort, the only surviving example of a number of such forts that were built to guard Granada against attacks by pirates.

Returning to your hotel in Granada, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 9 — Granada to Ometepe Island

After an early-ish breakfast, you will be collected from your hotel at approximately 08.30 for the roughly 80 minute drive to the port of San Jorge on the west shores of Lake Nicaragua.

Here, you will meet up with your island guide who can help with your luggage and join you as you board the ferry for the hour long ferry to Ometepe Island.

On arrival on Ometepe Island you will meet up with your driver for a tour of this magical island.

Depending on both time and your personal preferences, we would suggest a quick visit to the island’s small museum, home to a number of artefacts dating back to the island’s pre-Columbian inhabitants.

From there, it is a short drive to Charco Verde, a beautiful nature reserve with a number of walking trails. Together with your expert guide, you will set off an approximate 1-hour circuit of the reserve, stopping as you go to take in the wide variety of flora and fauna.

You will then continue to the equally magical Ojo de Agua, a natural spring fed by an underground river. The crystal clear waters of the two pools are perfect for a refreshing swim with changing facilities, food and drink all on hand.

Last up, you will head the short distance to a nearby farm where, somewhat randomly, you will come across a handful of ancient petroglyphs dating back to the time of the island’s original inhabitants. How and why they got there and what the now faint carvings mean, nobody really knows.

You will then be dropped off at your hotel on nearby Playa Santo Domingo.

Day 10 — Ometepe Island

This morning you have a choice.

Option A is to go kayaking on the Rio Istian, enjoying the peace and quiet of the mangroves and looking out for the varied birdlife and even the occasional shy caiman.

Option B is to visit Cascada de San Ramon, a 40 metre high waterfall that is accessed via a 30 – 60 minute hike along a picturesque trail. The pools at the bottom of the waterfall are ideal for a post hike cool-off.

The rest of the afternoon is then free for you to relax back at your hotel.

Day 11 — Ometepe Island to San Juan del Sur

You will return to the port at Moyogalpa this morning for the ferry journey back to the mainland.

On arrival in San Jorge, you will be met by a new driver for the approximate 80 minute drive to your last destination, and your final couple of nights in Nicaragua, the Pacific coastal town of San Juan del Sur.

Having dropped your bags at the hotel, the rest of the day is free for you to enjoy a walk along the beach, check out the town’s numerous shops, bars and restaurants and then take your place on the beachfront to enjoy the sunset.

Day 12 — San Juan del Sur

Today is free for you to relax at the hotel, further explore town or perhaps venture out on one of the many boat trips available to book locally.

Day 13 — San Juan del Sur to Managua Airport

Depending on your flight schedule, you will be collected from your hotel for the 3-hour drive back to Managua airport and your return flight home.