How to Find Luxury Hotels in Nicaragua

Located in Central America, Nicaragua is a country that is not necessarily known for its booming tourism industry. However, changes are being made across the country in an effort to attract more visitors. If your travels should take you to this part of the world, read on to learn how to find luxury accommodations in Nicaragua.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Computer with Internet Access
• Passport

Find Luxury Accommodations

1. Find luxury accommodations at the InterContinental Real Metrocentro, a four-star establishment in Managua. The property features a pool, spa, fitness center and retail shops. The rooms here are relatively inexpensive. Book by calling 011 ([phone] or by visiting the hotel Web site. See the Resources section below for a link.
2. Enjoy the refurbished and restored Spanish architecture of Granada while you stay in luxury accommodations. Granada is Nicaragua's oldest Spanish city, with international chain hotels as well as independent locally owned hotels with moderate rates.
3. Experience Managua and the local culture while staying in luxury accommodations close to it all. There are many places to choose from in Managua, and they tend to be on the inexpensive side as compared to luxury properties in the United States.
4. Conserve nature and help save the environment while on vacation in San Juan del Sur. Enjoy ocean views and deluxe amenities such as outdoor showers in your luxurious accommodations, and see wild animals on a protected nature reserve at the same location.
5. Pray for your soul in a converted convent in the metropolis of Leon. You will be satisfied with the luxury accommodations offered in this colonial city.

Arrive in Nicaragua

6. Fly into Bluefields, Puerto Cabezas or Corn Island airports.
7. Travel in cabs with a radio-dispatch to ensure safety.

Get to Know Nicaragua

8. Communicate in Spanish, the official language of Nicaragua. English and other Amerindian languages can also be commonly heard.
9. United States currency and credit cards are perfectly acceptable in hotels, restaurants and urban stores. To exchange your money use your hotel's exchange accommodations. The exchange rate for the Cordoba is about 15 to one U.S. dollar.

Tips & Warnings

• No central online accommodations booking authority or phone number exists for Nicaragua.
• Visit your hotel's Web site to book rooms online, and be sure to check for any current package deals.
• Tourist cards may be purchased upon entry to Nicaragua.
• Expect to pay a departure tax at the airport.
• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00."
• All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Avoid taking public transportation buses, where crime can be rampant.
• Due to minimal police presence, solo travelers should exercise extreme caution while traveling in the Corn Islands and other remote areas of the country known for drug trafficking.
• Travel is discouraged for rural areas of north and northwest Nicaragua, due to armed bandits and lack of police force. If you must travel there, do so in daylight hours and on major highways only.
• Pickpocketing and sporadic armed robberies take place on crowded buses, at bus stops and in open markets, predominantly in the large Mercado Oriental.
• Avoid driving at night.
• There is low police activity in rural areas, so be careful driving through the country at night.
• Be aware that land mines are still active in rural areas of Nicaragua.
• Wear jewelry sparingly, as tourists are often targeted for crime.

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