by Darrell Williams

When you mention the word Nicaragua in the modern day world of boxing, one name, “Ricardo Mayorga,” the chainsmoking egomaniacal banger from Managua is the constant that comes to one’s mind.
But while Mayorga has been scooping up millions in Las Vegas for his own bizarre version of the sweet science, a positive revolution has been taking place back home in Nicaraguan boxing. (more…)

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 Carlos Schmidt
Recently while in Guatemala City, I visited the City Museum. Among the many displays was the Declaration of Independence from Spain signed by delegates from the Kingdom of Guatemala, including Nicaragua’s Miguel de Lareynaga. The room where the Declaration was signed was a bit stuffy and no one else was there. I wondered to myself what that day was like on September 14, 1821 when a group of criollos, or upper crust colonists, decided to cut ties to the mother country and form their own government. Why they did so makes for an interesting tale.

Aside from a major uprising in Granada in 1812, the independence movement throughout Central America was characterized by smallish riots and plots that were all uncovered before they amounted to much. In Nicaragua, the independence movement centered around three men: Juan Arguello, Manuel Antonio de la Cerda, and Miguel Lareynaga. But to really understand why independence finally occurred, events in Spain must be considered. (more…)

by Henkel Smith III

Just four years ago, San Juan del Sur was only starting to be discovered by international travelers and real estate investors. Hotel options were minimal, restaurants were limited to almost exclusively local fare, internet cafes and ATM’s were non-existent, and you could count the area’s real estate developments on two hands.

Major press coverage around the globe in recent years has helped transform San Juan del Sur into the bustling tourism destination it is today. Internet cafés and ATM’s are abundant and a multitude of tourism related services are available, from water taxis to dune buggy rentals to airport shuttle services to daily scuba diving, fishing, and surfing trips. Hotel options cover the entire spectrum from inexpensive hospedajes to hilltop resorts and major brands such as Alamo and Subway have found their way to this once sleepy fishing village. There is a growing and flourishing expatriate community and the hills and outlying areas of town are now peppered with real estate developments and homes. (more…)

by Chris Mason

Nicaragua is fast becoming known as a fresh and relatively un-traveled tourist destination. Some even go as far as calling it the “new Costa Rica.” With giant smoldering volcanoes and vast lakes speckling the landscape, it sometimes feels more like being in a lost world.

Nicaragua is definitely not lost, though it is overlooked by the majority of world travelers. This was not without reason since over the last fifty years the country and its people have suffered many hardships such as natural disasters and civil wars, which made it difficult and dangerous to travel here. Things are better now, with relative political stability and no hurricanes on the horizon. It’s not hard to understand why everyone here enjoys hanging out in hammocks and relaxing. People are enjoying a peaceful life they deserve. The quiet after the storm. (more…)