4 Days in Nicaragua Itinerary

I’m absolutely so ecstatic to start sharing my 4 days of adventure in this volcano 🌋, lake & cultural Central American country called Nicaragua 🇳🇮.

Day 1: September 21, 2024

⚪️Flew with Avianca airline from NYC to San Salvador (layover 50 minutes) then into Managua (capital of Nicaragua)

⚪️Traveled during rainy season so flights & hotels were so affordable

⚪️Traveled by car from Managua to Granada, Nicaragua (2 hour journey)

⚪️Stayed 3 nights at📍Hotel Casa San Francisco; located in the center of historical Granada. Fancy the Nicaraguan people kindness & delicious breakfast

⚪️Half Day trip to📍León went like this 👇🏾

➡️Had a shared experience with @sheniarosejan & @mplsboy2001

➡️León is a city in Nicaragua and it was named after the city León in Spain 🇪🇸. Hence, Nicaragua was part of the Spaniard regime before gaining independence.

➡️Visited📍Cathedral of León; it’s the largest in Central America. The best view of the city can be seen from the rooftop. Also, Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío was buried here.

➡️Appreciated the murals on the street of Rubén Darío. His famous poem is “The Princess and the Star”

➡️Walked the street of León like a local Nicaraguan

➡️Enjoyed local live music, Toña Cerveza 🍺 (tasted like organic iced tea), an authentic meal (gallo pinto, fried crispy plantain & grilled chicken) and had great conversation about life

➡️And moo like them passing cows….haha!!!

⚪️Lets talk about Cerro Negro volcano 🌋

➡️Youngest active volcano in both Nicaragua and Central America

➡️Erupted almost 20 plus time

➡️It’s a bit of a challenging hike up to the crater; took me 1 hour 15 minutes to reach the top

➡️And under 1 minute to somewhat vertically sandboard to the bottom; I must say it’s the most thrilling rush my body has ever experienced

➡️The crater bubbles with steam and stinky gas/sulfur literally confirms Mother Nature is extraordinarily

Day 2: September 22, 2024 in📍Granada

✅That time @sheniarosejan and I spent a day relaxing at Apoyo Lagoon Natural Reserve

➡️So the crater in which the lagoon lies was formed by a volcanic eruption that’d happened thousands of years ago. Then rain water and substances from under the earth filled the crater over time.

➡️In other words, the crater is currently considered to be a sleeping volcano, but somehow keeps the water at a pleasant temperate. Phew!

➡️I visited here in particular because it’s one of a kind in the universe. And it’s so flipping awesome to swim, paddle boarding, kayaking and live it up in a crater lake that was once part of an active volcano 🌋

➡️Oh yeah, the seafood and local drinks were so delicious

Day 3: September 23, 2024 in📍Granada

⚪️Lets talk about Mombacho Volcano 🌋

➡️Been sleeping (a dormant volcano) for a very long time; but puff out smoke 💨 frequently

➡️The last eruption resulted into a crater that is now home to a cloud forest 🌳

➡️Basically the moisture from the fog/cloud are collected on the trees/leaves/plants then drip as raindrops to the ground

➡️The biodiversity is dope here; you can see loads of scientists and environmentalists studying the trees/plants and unique species residing in the cloud forest as you hike

➡️My friend @sheniarosejan and I hiked the moderate trail up to the crater; took us 2 hour to reach the🔝 & 2.5 hour to come back down….there are lots of pressure on the knees since the volcano is steep…

⚪️Bird watching & Monkey hopping on a 🛶 with a local Nicaraguan fisherman at📍Lake Nicaragua, Nicaragua 🇳🇮 is a must….

➡️Determined to see the sunset in the Western Hemisphere during rainy season

➡️Saw the Northern Jacana (my favorite), Social Flycatcher, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Peregrine Falcon and a mysterious Nicaraguan monkey

➡️Appreciated birdwatching with the coolest Nicaraguan fisherman – Carlos

➡️My friend @sheniarosejan and I explored this vivid city with Rosa & Javier via a horse ride carriage. Granada’s beautiful colonial architecture is mesmerizing. And I’m obsessed with Willam Walker; whom was president of Granada. He was one of the most interesting people in history, and too many have forgotten him. He was a bad arse from Tennessee, USA 🇺🇸. However, you have to admire his brilliance, audacity & love for changes in his life journey…it would be impossible today for a small group of (mostly) ordinary people to just go into a country or land and take it over…

➡️Learned about the Nicaraguan chocolate process at Bate Bate Chocolate with the fabulous @engil_ryan. Kinda made a fool of myself while having loads of fun…please laugh…Premium chocolate was 😜! Even 100 percent chocolate wasn’t bitter. Great cocoa nibs & liquor…

Day 4: September 24, 2024 in📍Managua

⚪️Observed and mesmerized by Masaya Volcano 🌋 from across the lake; we were unable to hike it due to ongoing volcanic activities 🥺

➡️Had Chicken and Tostones (Fried Plantains) for lunch – a typical Nicaraguan meal. Also, appreciated a local street musician performing for me. He’s 102 years old…

***102 Year Old Nicaraguan Street*** ***Artist***

➡️Very much thankful my good friend/sister @sheniarosejan and Spanish teacher/ driver Julio for showing me a fabulous time in Nicaragua during my vacation