by Eric Sabo and Darrell Williams

In a nation starved for golf and with only two recognized courses, things look like they are about to change in a big way, with five new courses in the works including one designed by Jack Nicklaus. At the Hacienda Iguana Golf & Beach Club near San Juan del Sur, the first of these new courses is now open for play.
The nine-hole course was designed by Neal Oldenburg, a champion amateur golfer who is part owner of the surrounding property which consists of several condominium complexes and several more luxurious family homes scattered around the links and nestled alongside some of the country’s best surfing waves. Oldenburg was influenced by British courses and the tropical Iguana one, his first design project, has a similar wide-open look with maturing greens that can only be attacked using the traditional bump-and-run style shot. Oldenburg has created a layout carved from the natural habitat that has a maturity way beyond what one might expect of a course in its infancy. (more…)

by Robin Quayle

Communing with nature is one of life’s pleasures that does not cost much but can make anyone the happiest person on earth. There are many ways to be one with nature like taking a hike, camping, swimming, or viewing animals in their natural habitat.

One of the least expensive but most enjoyable things to do (if you seek pleasure in the simple blessings of life) is to go birdwatching. This activity that can be done alone or in the company of friends or family. Birdwatching with the family can give a person the joy of bonding not only with nature but also spending some quality time with the children.

In Nicaragua, despite the favorable circumstances, birdwatching or birding is not yet widely practiced. It is, however, gaining popularity and birding is recognized as a promising attraction for the future development of ecotourism.

by Gabriel Fernandez

It was six thirty in the morning and the dark clouds that dumped buckets of water over San Juan del Sur accompanied by the howling winds had blown far offshore. The ocean was now as flat as a swimming pool and we couldn’t wait to get out there. The day before was a little slow, but when it comes to fishing every day is different.

Our baits were rigged up and we were ready to head out of the bay for some offshore fishing. “Capitania, capitania, capitania, Super Fly,” I called on the radio. After reporting our departure from the bay, I throttled the boat up to cruising speed. Every once in a while I would have to adjust my course in order not to run over one of the many Olive Ridley sea turtles. Once I found some nice cobalt blue water with the right temperature, we threw our baits in the water. As I worked the currents and temperature breaks you could see many birds working the surface. When you see birds diving, it is usually a good sign that fish are feeding below the surface of the water.

by Al Burton 

I often get asked by newcomers to Nicaragua, “What’s it like driving here?” The adjective that sums it up best is “entertaining.” Which is why, I suppose, gamesters around the world are eagerly awaiting this new virtual reality product, soon-to-be-online.

There’s rarely a dull moment. You have to be on your toes at all times in an exercise of hand-eye-machine coordination.

No matter how beautiful the scenery, you must keep your eyes peeled, glancing around 360 degrees, expecting the unexpected, never assuming that things are as they appear.

The vehicle in front of you with its turn signal flashing left may not turn at all, or it may go right. It might even turn left.

by Lawrence Goodlive

Among the reminders of the indigenous Nicaraguans’  thousands of years of presence is an abundance of  rock art, carvings  in stone, called  petroglyphs.  These symbols are considered a stepping stone in human commucation forms; they were preceded by more primitive cave paintings and evolved into more sophisticated hieroglyphs, the first alphabets. Other sources suggest that some petroglyphs are simply the work of Neolithic  graffiti artists. Making your own interpretation of what they mean, and why, is part of the fun of viewing them. 

 Petroglyphs are associated with ancient sites all over the country. Rock art pervades settings as diverse as the volcanic tuff walls of Cailagua in Masaya, basaltic rock engravings along riversides in Matagalpa and the Segovias and crosses and spiral forms more characteristic of Chontales and parts of the Atlantic and central regions.   ; these are  the Montelimar Cave near the Pacific coast in the department of Managua, Cailagua in Masaya and Isla del Muerto in the Zapatera Archipelago in Granada. The petroglyphs at all three sites were engraved upon volcanic tuff: consolidated volcanic ash that solidified as it cooled. Tuff is intensively quarried in the Pacific region, because it is a readily found and workable material appropriate for construction; there are at least two petroglyph sites that recently disappeared because of quarrying  activity. Sites listed below are just some of the many around Nicaragua.

by Carlito Rockola

Kayaking originated with the Eskimos of Greenland and Alaska, who built kayaks by stretching seal or other animal skins over a driftwood or whalebone frame and rubbing them with animal fat to waterproof the covering. The kayak was used for fishing and hunting; in the 20th century the Eskimos gradually abandoned them in favor of motorboats. But the rest of the world adopted kayaks; now instead of animal hide, kayaks are constructed from wood, fiberglass, plastic, polypropylene and Kevlar in an array of designs and sizes for uses from ocean touring to Olympic racing to shooting white water rapids. (more…)