by Martha Leach

Smoking sulfur fumes…sheer walls of black rubble…a close-up crater encounter and spectacular views along the Maribios volcano range combine to make an exciting trip to Cerro Negro - a half day tour within reach of all fitness levels.

My friends and I make the trip with a local guide from León named Rigoberto. Rigo grew up in León, the son of the mayor turned congressman. With his local expertise, a previous career in medicine, and obvious passion of the outdoors, we are in good hands.

Heading out of León in the cool of the morning, we turn east onto a dirt road at the sign for the town of Lechecuagas; milk curd. Traveling down dusty but scenic back roads, Rigo informs us that this rural area, surprisingly, has local bus service. Although we could have gone on our own, we are thankful for our guide. With him, we learn about the yucca, corn, beans and sesame that local farmers grow.

by Mike Sabine
Strictly speaking, this is a fishing trip story, but it does not stay in the memory that way. Rather, it was a remarkable journey through natural, ecological, and cultural diversity. Chasing Tarpon, the mighty “silver king,” was a great reason to go.

The voyage goes from Bluefields Lagoon and up through Pearl Lagoon to Top Lock, a smaller water body fed by the Rio Grande de Matagalpa. On land, it would cross the same latitudes as a road trip between Masaya and Matagalpa. No roads here though and so it is faster by boat.

It was also a journey across an amazing variety of aquatic systems: from miles- wide shallow lagoons that stretch across the horizon to broad mountain-fed rivers, to narrow snaking jungle-lined creeks. There are small lagoons off the large ones and dredged canals connect them all.
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by Eric Alberts
Of all possible volcano climbs in Central America, the one up Maderas on Nicaragua’s beautiful Ometepe Island is one of my favorites. It has one of the most unique and breathtaking settings and includes varying terrain and opportunities to see wildlife. The climb is challenging but possible for the relatively fit and has a special reward at the top. Getting to the volcano entails extra effort, but seeing the island of Ometepe is worth the trip.

To make the climb, we start our expedition from Rivas, taking a short taxi ride to the San Jorge dock where my friend and I are to depart for Ometepe via ferry. At the dock we hear “tiburón, tiburón!” being screamed out. No shark attack, it’s a street vendor hawking freshwater shark. The only population of freshwater shark in the world lives in Lake Nicaragua, and at San Jorge, you can devour some. The tiburon is fried like crackling and is dished up like the similar named vigorón, a common dish that consists of a banana leaf piled with boiled yucca, fried pork skin, and a cabbage salad topping.

Story by Justin Haring
Photos by Fidel Lopez
As if the pristine and deserted beaches of Nicaragua’s Pacific coast were not beautiful enough on the surface, many travelers are finding that the natural splendor of the terrestrial environment is reflected in the undersea realm as well. With both freshwater and ocean dive sites, western Nicaragua has a limited but interesting variety of locations, each offering an unique experience that is definitely worth checking out. Off the coast on the rocky seafloor, a diver can see a large variety of species, including puffer fish, yellow jackfish, eagle rays, and groupers. At different times of the year, sea turtles come to deposit their eggs on a beach and even dolphins and whales frequent the waters. In the freshwater lagoons, you can see the unique species of cichlid fish that have evolved in their particular isolated enclave. Like the Galapagos animal species discovered by Charles Darwin, they can only be seen here.
San Juan del Sur is the base for most diving trips in western Nicaragua. From there, you can get to all the great sites off the southwest coast and it’s only about an hour and a half drive to the closest volcanic crater lake, Laguna de Apoyo. You can also find guide, rent equipment, get certified, or even advance your current certification at either of the two full-service dive shops in town.

by Ashley Blaylock
Nicaragua is quickly becoming recognized as one of the best places to visit in Central America for surfing. With its uncrowded waves and offshore winds almost year round, there is no reason to wonder why.
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