Coast to Coast

Day 1 — Managua

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

Day 2 — Managua to Corn Islands

After a leisurely breakfast at your hotel, you will be collected from your hotel for a morning’s 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. You will finish your tour of Managua at Salvador Allende Port where there will be an opportunity to enjoy lunch.

You will then be dropped off at the airport for the short flight to the Corn Islands. On arrival at Big Corn, you will be transferred to your hotel. If you wish to stay on Little Corn, this will involve an approximate 30-minute speedboat ride.

Day 3 — Corn Islands

Today is free for you to relax by the beach or perhaps rent a bike, moped or quad bike to explore the island.

Day 4 — Corn Islands

Another day amidst the beautiful, tropical surroundings of the Corn Islands. In addition to its wonderful beaches and beautiful countryside, there are numerous options for both scuba diving and snorkeling.

Day 5 — Corn Islands

Day at leisure.

Day 6 — Corn Islands to Granada

You will return to Big Corn airport for the morning flight back to Managua. On arrival, you will be met at the airport for the onward transfer to Granada, your base for four days of varied exploration.

However, rather than heading straight from the airport to Granada (a journey that normally takes a little over an hour), there will be time for at least a couple of stops en-route.

First up is a visit to one of the most spectacular sights in Nicaragua, Masaya volcano, which, unlike many other volcanoes in the region, is still very much active.

Should time allow, the nearby town of Masaya is an attractive town with a well-established market selling traditional handicrafts from right across Nicaragua.

If you’re curious about where some of these handicrafts come from, next up is a visit to village of San Juan del Oriente within the Pueblos Blancos, famous for its pottery. Accordingly, there will be a visit to local cooperative where there will be an explanation and demonstration of traditional methods.

Last up today, and just a short drive away, in the village of Catarina, is a visit to the lookout point with its spectacular views over Apoyo Lagoon. It is then just a further, 30-minute drive to Granada.

Day 7 — Granada

After a relaxed breakfast at your hotel, you will be collected from your hotel for a morning’s walking tour of this, one of the most beautiful towns in Central America.

Dating back to the early 16^th century, Granada has had a long and colourful history with the city being attacked, sacked and rebuilt numerous times in its 500 year history.

As if to match this colourful history, Granada today is a kaleidoscope of brightly coloured buildings that perfectly showcase its fusion of Andalusian and Moorish influences.

After a morning exploring the key sites of the town, your guide can make recommendations as to the best options for lunch.

The afternoon is then free for you to explore town on your own. Our personal recommendation would be the excellent Museo San Francisco.

Day 8 — Granada (Trips Out)

After another delicious, traditional breakfast at your hotel, 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, your guide will lead you on an approximate 1-hour trail that makes it way around the top of the volcano crater as well as taking a brief detour to enjoy views back over Granada and Lake Nicaragua. If you would prefer something more challenging, there are longer, more demanding trails that take anything 2 to 4 hours.

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

Later that afternoon, at around 3pm you will be collected from your hotel for a quick, 15 minute transfer, to a small dock on the lake.

From here, you will board your private boat for an approximate 2 hour tour of the beautiful Isletas de Granada, of which it is said that there are precisely 365. Some of these islands are tiny lumps of rock.  Of the larger, habitable islands, some have been occupied by local communities for as long as people can remember while others are now home to wealthy outsiders and their luxury mansions.

One of the most interesting islands, which you will be able to get out of the boat and explore, is home to San Pablo fort, a tiny 17^th century fortification and the only surviving example of a number of similar forts that were built to defend Granada against attacks by pirates.

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

Day 9 — Granada

Today is free for you to relax, explore Granada on your own or perhaps book another trip outside of town.

Day 10 — Granada to Emerald Coast

This morning, you will be collected from your hotel for the approximate 2 hour transfer to the dramatic Emerald Coast and your accommodation for the next 4 days.

Day 11 — Emerald Coast

Day at leisure

Day 12 — Emerald Coast

Day at leisure

Day 13 — Emerald Coast

Day at leisure

Day 14 — Emerald Coast 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.