Central America
Visiting Chontales and Nicaragua’s Cattle Country
Chontales is Nicaragua’s cattle country. Travelers who tire of the Granada hype and the overwhelming presence of other foreigners will be amply rewarded with a trip to Chontales.
Read More
4 Best Hikes Near Boaco, Nicaragua
The best hikes near Boaco, Nicaragua, are all half-day to full-day events, and the majority are challenging trips. They’re also incredibly rewarding.
Read More
Visiting El Castillo along the Río San Juan
Located on the southern bank of the Río San Juan, the Nicaraguan town of El Castillo has neither roads nor cars—reason enough to visit.
Read More
Things to Do in Juigalpa, Nicaragua
The last big settlement on the road southeast to El Rama, Juigalpa bears the traces of its indigenous roots in elaborate statuary and other archaeological pieces still being discovered. Spend your time in its incredible museum and enjoying its many city parks.
Read More
Things to Do Near Matagalpa
North of Matagalpa you’ll find plenty of things to do in fantastic opportunities to explore the incredible landscape. For where to stay, take advantage of the area’s ecolodges and farming co-operatives to get to know and support the locals.
Read More
Planning Your Time in Estelí and the Segovias
The curious and unrushed traveler will not regret breaking away from the highway and going deep into Nicaragua’s northern countryside. Here are tips on making the most of your time exploring Estelí and the Segovias.
Read More
The Best of Nicaragua in Two Weeks
Nicaragua has a popular, carved-out tourist route based on its principal, most developed attractions. The beaten path is made up of the Granada-Ometepe-San Juan del Sur circuit, which can be done in about a week. Save another week for volcano-boarding near León, wildlife-viewing in Estelí, and relaxing on remote Big Corn Island. Wherever you head, Granada is a good place to ease into things, with colorful surroundings, wonderful cuisine, and a central location.
Read More
Diving Nicaragua’s Corn Islands
Three distinct layers of reef, composed of more than 40 species of coral, protect the north side of Big Corn Island. The diving and snorkeling are impressive, and divers regularly see nurse sharks, eagle rays, and lots of colorful fish. The wilder Little Corn Island’s delicate reef system is unique for its abundance of wildlife and coral formations, including overhangs, swim-throughs, and the infamous shark cave.
Read More
San Fernando and the Solentiname Islands
Solentiname’s best-known attraction is the creativity of its inhabitants, so don’t expect a lot of tourist infrastructure. Take a fully guided, four-day exploration of the entire Solentiname archipelago and the Río Papaturro in Los Guatuzos, including all its natural, archaeological, and cultural attractions.
Read More
Planning Your Time in Puerto Cabezas and the Río Coco
Isolated from the rest of Nicaragua by vast tracts of inaccessible forest and coastline, the municipality of Puerto Cabezas, its capital Bilwi, and the Río Coco watershed are remote and wild. Tourism is undeveloped throughout this region, which for some travelers makes it all the more enticing.
Read More
Featured Central America Travel Guide
Buy at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
IndieBound
Moon Guides Author Spotlight
Al Argueta
At the age of three, Al Argueta first traveled to Guatemala with his father and was utterly captivated by the country’s landscape and its Mayan inhabitants. He would later live in Guatemala for two years, allowing him to formally learn Spanish and to experience Guatemala’s culture firsthand. During summers in high school and college, Al often took a month off to travel to Guatemala, exploring its jungles, ruins, and villages.
In college, Al majored in Journalism and Latin American Studies, managing to squeeze in two study-abroad programs—one in Manchester and one in Maastricht—and traveled through much of Europe. After college, he interned with Costa Rica’s Tico Times, getting his first exposure to travel writing and photography, in addition to covering then-President Bill Clinton’s visit to Guatemala. Al worked briefly for a newspaper in the Virgin Islands before moving on to photography school in Hawaii. He also taught English to college students in Thailand for a time, continuing to satiate the travel bug that bit him years back.
Al now lives in Austin, Texas, where he’s managed to stay put for an unprecedented six years. In addition to writing, he does freelance travel photography for clients that have included National Geographic Adventure, Caribbean Travel & Life, Condé Nast Traveler, Outside’s GO, and Continental.
Follow Al on Instagram @alargueta75.