October 19, 2008 by sacuanjoche.

BY REGIS ST. LOUIS

Nicaragua’s volcanoes, coastlines and colonial towns are no longer a secret among travelers seeking authentic Central America — and they have fewer crowds than neighboring Costa Rica. Yet despite the growing popularity of Granada, Leon and San Juan del Sur, certain places remain well off the tourist radar.Managua, the capital, is one of Nica’s most overlooked destinations and has long been dismissed by foreign visitors, who linger in the metropolis only long enough to change planes or catch the first bus out of town. Those willing to scratch beneath the surface, though, find a proud and fascinating city with a wild landscape and rich history.

Excellent restaurants and nightlife, cozy colonial hotels and a surreal assortment of sights make for rewarding exploring, and help put this land of lakes, poets and revolutionaries into context.

Perched along the shores of the Lago Xolotlán, Managua is a low-rise city of winding streets. Woven into its geography are picturesque crater lakes, with volcanoes to the north and south and the Meseta de Estrada mountain range to the northeast.

A city of tropical verdure, it’s also one of constant reinvention, an essential quality given the wounds that nature has inflicted. Monstrous earthquakes have twice leveled the city, once in 1931 when it was still a tiny municipality, and again in 1972, when five square miles of the city were instantly wiped out, leaving some 20,000 dead.

RETURNING HOME

Since then, the former downtown near the lakeshore, known as zona monumental, was largely abandoned. This forlorn collection of former museums, plazas and government offices was the bustling heart of Managua prior to the quake. Abandoned for a generation, the neighborhood is slowly being revitalized, and capatalinos (Managua residents) have recently started returning to the area.

The streets end at the lake, where the malecon skirts along a colorful assortment of lakeside kiosks and a rickety theme park. Morning is the best time to visit, when songbirds fill the trees around the parks and a cool breeze blows off the lakefront. Among the highlights here is the shell of the old cathedral, whose hauntingly beautiful facade is decorated with murals and stone angels. Despite promises, it has never been restored.

On a grassy plaza a few blocks south is the country’s most evocative revolutionary monument. The Monumento de la Paz is a lighthouse built atop the destroyed remains of thousands of weapons, including a tank, from the Sandinista-Contra War of the 1970s-80s. These were forever encased in concrete by former President Violeta de Chamorro. The nearby Palacio Nacional de la Cultura has impressive exhibits on the conflict and Nicaragua’s more distant past.

Also in the area are the Casa Presidencial, where current President Ortega works, and the Centro Cultural de Managua, the city’s former Gran Hotel. The first floor contains the Bar La Cavanga, a 1950s-era gem, which stages live folk and jazz shows in the evenings. A few blocks north is the Teatro Rubén Darío, a graceful building that was one of the few in the area to survive the earthquake. The second-floor balcony boasts pretty lake views.

There are numerous ways to experience the dramatic scenery (and perhaps see some wildlife) within city limits. Among four crater lakes in Managua, Laguna Tiscapa is the easiest to reach and offers splendid views over the lushly forested lagoon. A zipline whisks down the hillside (for maximum adrenaline boost, opt for the ”Superman” pose).

A short drive south of the capital, the Montibelli Wildlife Reserve has 162 hectares of tropical dry forest. Along the trails, visitors have spectacular views of nearby volcanoes Masaya, Mombacho and Cerro Ventarrón, and impressive glimpses of birds, butterflies and howler monkeys.

NIGHT SONGS

In the evening, Managua comes into its own, with dozens of lively, music-filled bars and restaurants about town. Not far from the zona monumental is Ruta Maya, an airy thatch-roof bar where a laid-back crowd comes to hear live Nicaraguan folk music.

For a denser concentration of nightspots, head to the Zona Rosa, an upscale district in the south of the city. In addition to trendy bars and restaurants, this is the neighborhood of the intimate Casa de los Mejia Godoy, a club (and nonprofit foundation) started by the legendary Godoy musicians Carlos and his brother Luis Enrique.

The Bello Horizonte rotunda in the northeast corner of town is another great place to head. An epicenter for party people, this area provides premium strolling past discos and bars, grill stands and fast-food joints. Wandering bands of sparkly, big-hatted mariachi musicians add to the fray.

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October 18, 2008 by sacuanjoche.

NicaraguaAlthough Nicaragua is known for its history of political instability and conflict, the previously war-torn nation is desperately trying to attract foreign investment. Government incentives have made Nicaragua real estate appealing to investors, as Nicaragua’s attractions continue to draw more tourists and expatriates.

Nicaragua could become an ideal retirement and vacation destination for millions

“Because Nicaragua has historically been overlooked by travelers and real estate investors [in comparison] to Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico, prices have remained extremely affordable,” Henkel Smith, president of Water’s Edge International Realty, said. “Nicaragua’s real estate market is definitely still in its infancy, but we see things changing as the number of foreign visitors and investors continue to buy up properties.”The country has an abundance of natural resources, beautiful landscapes and a government that claims to be welcoming towards foreign investment and tourism. Assuming the government’s expressed attitude towards foreign investment is genuine, Nicaragua appears to be an investor’s dream, offering an ideal retirement and vacation destination for millions of people, especially Americans and Europeans.

On the other hand, some investors might find Nicaragua’s political structure to be intimidating; those who perceive President Daniel Ortega’s position of power as threatening have been discouraged from entering the market. Nevertheless, optimistic investors believe that Ortega’s personal investment in business and tourism projects around the country are a sign that he plans to take a different path this time in office, and that the President is now trying to make amends for his violent past as a young Sandinista revolutionary.

Nicaragua’s investment hotspots are Granada, a colonial town on the bank of Lake Nicaragua, and San Juan Del Sur, a booming fishing village located on the Pacific Ocean just north of Costa Rica. Although a profusion of new developments are happening along the Pacific coast, most of the country awaits significant advancements in infrastructure, providing investors with opportunities to buy property in almost any price range.

Read the entire story here => nuwireinvestor.com

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September 13, 2008 by sacuanjoche.

Once-troubled Central American country is at peace and looking to entice travellers to explore its cultural, historical and recreational attractions

September 13, 2008

Heather Greenwood Davis
Special to the Star
Managua, Nicaragua–The beach butlers haven’t arrived yet. And the soldiers haven’t left.

But tourists who flip past this small Central American country in travel brochures fearing for their safety should take a second look. The country is moving forward and the lush landscapes and towering volcanoes that were once only an impetuous backpackers’ playground are increasingly available to those who prefer a hotel to a hostel and a backrub to a backpack.

Nicaragua is in transition and actively seeking out travellers who will come and see the changes for themselves. Many who have been refer to the country as “the next Costa Rica,” a tip of the hat to the southwestern neighbour that has become a favourite spot for North Americans looking for a safe, eco-friendly, virtually untouched place to vacation or retire.

Nicaragua offers all of that, as well as historically significant cultural options in museums and architecture where Costa Rica falls short. But its violent history, still fresh in the minds of many, has been a hurdle in the country’s struggle to attract tourists.

“People still think of us as war-torn,” says guide Marlon Rivera. “We still have that negative image.”

The country is peaceful. The war-torn era of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s that made international headlines is long gone. All that seems to remain of the turbulent times are relics and buildings that make for interesting tours in Managua, and the people who were left to pick up the pieces.

They’ve done that remarkably well.

The new Nicaragua is cited by many guidebooks as one of the safest countries in Central America. Cruise ships have been stopping regularly since 1996.

The number of visitors to the country has increased 7 per cent since 2007, says Tania Estrada, spokesperson for the tourism and trade department.

Most visitors are Europeans, primarily from England, who spend four to five days and upwards of $150 (U.S.) per day. Canada ranks fourth. The United States is third and other Central American countries fill in the gap.

“We are trying to fight that negative perception of Nicaragua,” Estrada says.”Nicaragua has beautiful places to go.”

On board a recent flight to Managua, the plane is full. There are babies nibbling on chubby fistfuls of crackers, a student group of teenage boys (and one lone female teacher) boasting of the waves they’ll conquer on surfboards, families of all sizes and businessmen itching for the seatbelt sign to go off so they can start their BlackBerrys.

When they land, they’ll venture out across the country:

The popular beaches of San Juan del Sur, the peaceful seclusion of Ometepe Island, the colonial city of Granada and the university hub of Leon.

If there are concerns for safety among these travellers, it isn’t evident. Snippets of overheard conversation suggest a different preoccupation: At a time when travel is expensive, Nicaragua is cheaper than the Caribbean, its beaches equally as beautiful and sunshine just as plentiful.

“Tourism here in Nicaragua is growing very slowly, but it’s growing in a good way,” says Estrada.

Due in no small part, no doubt, to the fact that in Nicaragua a middle-class traveller can live like a king.

Hotel and restaurants are constantly besting each other in a race to be the most lavish, the most luxurious, the most exclusive and the most upscale.

But you can also still find well-priced – and even cheap – accommodation. An expensive gourmet meal with fresh seafood, well-seasoned steaks and a cornucopia of sides will run you no more than $25 (U.S.).

New eco-friendly routes (including visits to organic coffee plantations) and artisanal routes are among tours being introduced to take visitors beyond the major centres and into the rural northern areas.

And there is a building boom afoot.

Morgan’s Rock Hacienda and EcoLounge – a 15-bungalow retreat in a natural conservation area – opened in 2004. Gran Pacifica, a combination owner/rental pool of properties, is being developed on the Pacific Coast 45 kilometres from Managua and will feature a Marriott hotel.

With obvious pride, Estrada rhymes off a string of large, upscale projects being developed across the country over the next five years; most of the investors are from North America.

Tax incentives and tourism laws aimed at luring international investors and retirees to the country are working.

Nadene Holmes, a former ESL teacher from St. Catharines, has witnessed the changes firsthand.

“It used to be just backpackers,” she says, sitting at a small table under one of two large Canadian flags in her café in Granada. “But now we’re getting a much higher-end tourist. Two years ago, to spend $10 on a meal was like, `How much?’ That’s no longer the case.”

Holmes moved with her family to Nicaragua in 2002 and opened Maverick’s – a bookshop/café – in downtown Granada a few years later.

But last year she realized there was a market developing for people who could guide newcomers through the initial settling process. She and her husband Camillo Calderon launched Maverick’s Details Management (granada-english-college.com/Mavericks) just over a year ago and have watched profits jump 15 per cent.

That’s thanks in part to the government’s commitment to attracting tourism, especially in bringing new flights from the United States and promoting the country as a viable investment.

“We’ve definitely noticed a lot of positive buzz,” Holmes says of the growing tourism market. “The interest is there. The change is coming.”

It is clear that, for the most part, any investor-driven changes will need to come from outside the country.

With 72 per cent of Nicaragua’s population under the age of 30, and 42 per cent under the age of 15, this country of about 5 1/2 is young, ambitious – and poor. There are more than 35 universities in the country, but at a cost of about $140 (U.S.) per month, even the least expensive of the private schools is out of reach to most locals.

A teacher in this country, for example, earns less than that in a month. There are hospitals here that you can’t enter without a U.S. credit card and Rivera says there are movie theatres where $6 or $7 will give you a private table where you can watch a movie while dining on steak – but you won’t find your average Nicaraguan inside.

“We have very, very poor people, middle poor and then rich people,” Rivera says. “There is no middle class.”

As if to prove his point, a truck that looks about three metres high and just over a metre wide passes us, filled with bananas bound for El Salvador. Another with almost as many men heading out to work on one of the plantations is going the other way.

The top industry remains agriculture: coffee, sugar, seafood, tobacco – but now there are glimmering signs that tourism may one day add to that bounty.

On the tarmac in Managua airport sits a mix of American Airline jumbo jets and smaller twin engines. In a hangar in the distance, a camouflage-coloured chopper bides its time. The present and the past continue to mix here, but Estrada says the country is moving forward, not looking back.

“The thing that you need to see is the country, not the political things or the problems of the government,” she says. “People need to visit to understand.”

Heather Greenwood Davis is a freelance columnist. Her trip to Nicaragua was subsidized by the Nicaraguan Tourism Board.

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